Beastly Bonds
by shamrock920
Summary: Takes place when Jack's in Crematoria but the twist is, Riddick never goes to Crematoria. A story about Jack's friends, allies and escape. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**Beastly Bonds**

**Chapter I**

Hazel eyes snapped open at the clash and banging of metal against metal and a knife in the same grip was tightened. As Jack sat up, she ran a hand through her hair that had become mussed during her rest. She snorted at the thought of rest in such a hellhole but she stood anyway, walking to the very edge of the cliff that overlooked the center of Crematoria. Sure enough, the horrid sound was to alert the occupants there was a new damned soul. Jack looked at the man being let down by rope and judged him immediately. He wouldn't last a fortnight. Crouching, she watched him hit the ground and immediately struggle to get out of the bonds. Miners had already climbed from their rocky crevices in the ground and circled him, as if a sort of group meeting.

The same interrogation Jack was put through was given to this new inmate, who spat on the ground and ordered to be released. The prison became silent. No one had ever treated their 'home' this way and Jack was quite sure it wasn't to be taken lightly. Lucky for her, a few inmates had seen her as a slaved out kid wild with fear and had taken her in as their charge. They trained her even more but over time they had been killed or died. Shaking the somewhat fond memories from her head, Jack wondered what would be done when she heard her name called.

"KYRA!"

With a glare she saw that she was being called to judge this pathetic excuse of a man and with a few easy jumps and loping strides, she had taken off from her cliff and landed next to a miner.

"You called?"

"I did, what do you think should happen to this bastard?"

As Jack decided, calls from above shouted for immediate death or torture then death. Yet she had other ideas in her mind, more along the lines of death, but not by their hands. The cries grew louder as she circled the still hanging man who did little to cover wrath based lust that rolled off of him in waves. With a snarl she used the hilt of her knife and slammed him in the face, effectively breaking his nose. Shouts of approval rang out as blood dripped from his face. Jack held up her hand in a gesture of silence and soon the prison was quiet again, waiting for his sentence.

"He did disrespect our home, private hell, whatever you want to call it. But, they'll have a good guess as to whoever killed him and they will be punished. Things don't get much worse than this, so we don't need extra punishment. So, let's leave him for feeding time, eh?" Jack asked, her inner beast howling with excitement at the prospect of live bait. But even her raging animal was drowned out by the agreement of the inmates of Crematoria. She raised her hands again and silence reigned.

"But I don't think a bloody nose will be enough to attract our friends to this…free meal." His arousal clearly died at this statement and fear began to run amuck in his body. "Krent, Litman."

Two of the stronger miners stepped forward. She was relatively good friends with these two and they weren't bothered by her power at all.

"That extra line or so of chain, we still got it?"

"For this 'ere bastard? I believe we do." Litman answered, a manic smile lighting his hard and dark features. "I have to say, Kyra, I love your thinkin'."

"Me too, be a joy and go retrieve it. Krent, is it possible to build in a hanging device from one of the stronger parts of the stone?" She asked, glancing back to see Litman descending into the mines and Krent still standing at ready. He looked up and with calculating eyes, raked the stone over and seemed to find a perfect spot.

"Aye."

"Good, once Litman brings the chain, attach it to that spot. But, our gentle and kindly keepers," she heard a resounding bark of laughter from the nearby inmates, "won't be keeping this chain here long, so anyone who is up to it has the joy of taking him down and off. Tie 'em up, beat him til he is barely conscious, do what you like but don't kill him and don't knock him out. Guard him, watch him and I want him hung up ten minutes before feeding time." Jack ordered, watching the inmates take up various weapons and cutting tools. Backing up, she looked up to see another inmate letting down a rope for her.

Grabbing onto it she easily climbed her way up. Seeing a hand held out to her and against her better judgment she clasped it and jumped over the side. As she looked up as to who her helper was, she smiled to see it was Tipner, a long time inmate who was blind in one eye. He was old and grizzled, but knew Crematoria inside out. His skin was darkened and worn with age, looking like leather stretched over a well-muscled body. Jack guessed he had as many scars as he did bones and for each one he had a different story. Many inmates respected and looked up to Tipner as a sort of wise and all-knowing guardian, but just like the rest of them, he lived to survive.

"Good to see you, Tipner." Jack greeted, clasping his hand and arm again. He nodded and pulled up the rope, wrapping it about his arm.

"And you to, Kyra. I see you've gained some superiority in this…hierarchy." He waved the scene below, where the once hanging man was now being thoroughly insulted and beaten. "Come, let's talk. We've got some time before the feeding." He raised his hand for her to follow him and she did, feeling a sense that a paternal and philosophical discussion was to follow. She felt sometimes that Tipner was sort of her substitute for Imam, who she had thoughtlessly left behind.

Following him through the strong bars that had held those cats back for years, she waited for him to be comfortably seated in a well-worn hollow in the stone before she herself fell into a sort of kneeling position on the floor. One knee bent up, the other leg tucked through that one and her hand rested on her knee while the other supported her.

"So, you wished to speak to me?" She asked, as if she were receiving orders. He waved it aside with a slightly annoyed face, but the age was clear as he breathed louder and heavier.

"No, just to talk. Just to talk. So, talk." He gestured for conversation to begin and she wasn't sure where to start.

"What do you mean, talk?"

"Oh don't be stupid, just talk. Fine, let me start." He heaved a sigh and leaned back into the stone, closing his eyes. Jack saw with a stab of pain that he was in his last days.

"Alright, go ahead."

"What is the one thing you most wish for?"

This took her completely by surprise and her position smoothly changed as she crossed her legs and straightened her back. What was it that she wished for? Did she even have wishes anymore?

"The obvious, that is to get out of here. And bring you, too. Then get some private transport out of here and settle on some nice secluded planet…then…well…" she trailed off, knowing Tipner knew the rest. He had been the only one she had ever told about her past with Riddick and he had been shocked at first, but believed it entirely.

"Ah, of course. Kyra, have I ever told you of my past? And why I'm stuck in this horrible place?" He suddenly changed the subject, as it seemed a certain energy had revitalized him momentarily. "Of course not."

And with that he revealed his history to her, only to turn around and give her a small chip and an old earth key. The chip contained his story and the key was to a vault he claimed was still stowed away somewhere on old earth. Jack tucked both items away and was touched when he said that she was the closest thing he had to an apprentice and daughter. Jack was about to open her mouth to reveal her past when she heard an unavoidable noise outside.

Tipner moved to get up but she held a hand up and he settled back. With a slight growl she unsheathed a blade and backed up, closer to the old man. Knowing that time was running short, she knelt quickly and turned to him.

"Take this. I'm going to send up Krent and Litman to protect you, but just in case." She said, closing his hand around the blade she had placed into it. With a tired smile he nodded and closed his eyes, needing rest. Walking out of the semi-livable quarters, she stood on the ramp and looked down, where she saw the inmate making trouble. With a sharp whistle that only Krent and Litman recognized, she saw movement and waited until they were next to her to leave. They knew this was their duty, regardless of how unaccepting of help Tipner would be.

"Kyra, this bastard deserves it. But, watch the beasts." Litman advised, following Krent into Tipner's prison cell and efficiently locking the door with chains and other objects. With a nod, she began a long journey down the ramp until she found a suitable place to jump onto the chain that was holding up the inmate. Leaping from the ramp, she was glad for her thick gloves that prevented her hands from hurting as she slid down the metal links. He had obviously heard her for he looked up and only a few seconds later his scream was followed by a sickening crunch of finger bones. Jumping from him to the ground, she stood and observed his condition.

"You're nothing but a filthy prison slut! Whore! Cunt!" He yelled, receiving a blow with a rusted metal bar that ripped open part of his chest, leaving a path of shredded flesh behind.

"Watch your mouth." She advised. She was about to continue when the alarm blared through the prison and she violently swore. They were letting them out early this time and she wasn't entirely prepared. The miners dropped out of sight and the others ran to the ramps, being shoved and pushed. Jack saw that really had no way out of this one. The ramps were too dangerous, the miners wouldn't let her in and she had no sufficient rock to climb up that the cats wouldn't chase her. With a growl she also decided she wasn't about to climb up that chain holding the doomed inmate, since it was very difficult to jump from a hanging chain to a ramp, that would most likely be filled with running prisoners.

Unsheathing her blades, Jack turned to face the scraping and agonized scream of the natural metal of the cat's bodies with the unforgiving rock of Crematoria. All the cats but one leapt off into different areas, sensing easier meals there. Yet the one that remained was the largest one, the alpha Jack guessed but she wasn't about to ask. The cat approached her, turning a scarlet red like swords being beaten into deadly weapon in a forge. Clenching her jaw, Jack stamped out every last scent of fear from her and decided that if she was going down, it would be in glory.

"Yo bitch! It's your turn now! Gonna get ripped up and eaten alive by that nasty freak cat thing! Haha, I'm laughin' at you, you stupid slut! You ain't gonna survive another minute!" The inmate crowed and mocked her from his position and it seemed that the cat was more bothered by this then Jack was. The beast narrowed its eyes and saw that this was just talkative hanging food. With a roar of starvation, the feline launched itself from the ground and sank its claws and teeth into the body of the inmate who began to scream.

Slowly backing up Jack almost tripped on a shuddering form partially hidden by rocks. Looking down she saw one of the younger inmates, a kid no older then fifteen but thrown in here in stead of his father, who had died before he had been able to be sent to Crematoria. Jack had no idea what fucked up government had decided this was the proper way of working things, but she suddenly felt that this wasn't his way to go. Thinking fast, she remembered his name as Meth. It wasn't his real name but they had given the bullshit reason he was in Crematoria for trafficking serious amounts of the drug.

"Get up, Meth! Now!" She snarled, grabbing his arm and dragging him behind her, his footsteps at first unsteady but soon he kept a good pace with her. Jack looked up to see that no beasts had gotten near Tipner's cell and was about to start on the ramps when the same cat that had checked her out as a meal earlier landed directly in front of her. Most inmates would've shoved Meth in front of them and run in the opposite direction, but Jack had different ideas. Showing she was armed, she raised her lips in a definite snarl. The feline did the same in return, showing it wasn't disarmed or backing down. The metal scales rose in defiance as Jack didn't give up her space or Meth. As it continued, she knew that the cat looked at Meth as a defenseless cub and Jack as a protector, probably high beta or alpha. With this hierarchy in place, it was against both of their natures to back down.

Finally it seemed that they had reached a sort of understanding when Jack felt Meth's presence behind her suddenly vanish. With a cry of rage she turned to see another cat had bitten deep into his leg and was attempting to drag him away. Yet before Jack got close to him, she was knocked flat by a blur of solid sleek strength. The alpha she had just been facing down suddenly let out a mighty roar, causing the cat to let Meth's leg go, which was bleeding quickly. He struggled to move closer to Jack and she ungracefully stumbled up to help him. The cat stepped forward to retake its meal but the alpha body slammed it into the rock, shaking Crematoria to its core. A short fight ensued as Jack safely got Meth in her arms and while checking his wound, looked up to see that the cat that had attacked him was now cowering beneath the looming shadow of the alpha. What had happened between the alpha and Jack, neither Jack or Meth knew, but it was significant.


	2. Chapter 2

**Beastly Bonds**

**Chapter II**

Meth moaned, gripping her hand tighter. Jack cursed. She knew he could only be safely moved when the cats were called back, but she had no idea when that would happen. Jack kept her eyes trained on the scene before her, pressing her hand harder against Meth's wound, stopping the blood flow somewhat sufficiently. The bite marks were clear and if he survived this, would be able to show scar marks of escape.

"C'mon, c'mon, get called! Feeding time has got to be over!" Jack harshly whispered, feeling somewhat relieved to see the cat slinking away for other prey and the alpha remaining, eating what was left of the inmate as far as Jack could tell. As if her prayers were heard, the alarm rang again and the alpha finished its prey, the bone crunching easily in the death vice grip of its jaw. When it turned to leave, Jack caught direct eye contact with it and suddenly felt a flare of trust. With a respectful nod, Jack picked Meth up and left the area, swearing never to be outside remotely near feeding time anymore.

But with more important things on her mind, Jack shouted for any medical help available as she swiftly made her way to Tipner's cell. Inmates moved quickly out of her path, looking at Meth who was paling in her arms. She saw with relief that Krent and Litman had unlocked the cell and stood waiting for her. Barging in, she found Tipner alert and ready, the crude metal table he had been given by the crew of Crematoria cleared and maybe even somewhat clean. In times of emergency like this, most everyone went to Tipner, who could usually stitch them up.

As she deposited the body onto the table she glanced up see a miner, dusted protective goggles dangling around his neck. With a short explanation, he gave them a box of medical supplies. Close to useless, but better than nothing he had insisted and Jack thanked him with future promises of something. Turning back, she found Tipner had already ripped away the cloth around the bite wound. Some deeper than others, it was clear that something huge and hungry had taken a snap at him. As Meth moaned, Jack laid a comforting hand on his forehead and smoothed back his hair caked with dirt and sweat.

"How the fuck are you going to clean the wound?" Jack asked, seeing that it could easily get infected if not cleaned. With a knowing glance, Tipner moved quickly to the back of his cell that no one saw, but rumors spread that he had a storage a real food and supplies there. Jack found him returning with dampened clothes and by the smell, damp with rubbing alcohol. This was going to hurt and Jack knew it. He had cleaned her up a few times and sometimes with slashes as deep as these. Meth smelled it too, seeing how he tried to become part of the table, pushing back into it as hard as he could.

"No…please…" his faint voice carried to her ears and she gripped his hand.

"You can do this, Meth, this is gonna hurt like a motherfucker but you survive this and life in this hellhole will be a piece of cake. Hold on." She encouraged him and was rewarded with a weak smile. Yet this was erased and quickly replaced by a yell of blinding pain and suffering. Jack held him down until the pain subsided and by then Tipner was already stitching up the deeper wounds. The breaths that had come in gasps now evened out into normal breathing with small hitches and Meth was beginning to fall asleep.

"Kyra…" Litman warned, seeing the boy fall asleep.

"Keep him awake." She ordered, moving down to help Tipner close the wounds. Jack barely heard the words of hope that Litman was using the keep Meth awake but somehow she heard the same roar of the alpha she had encountered just minutes before. Shaking it from her head, she stitched up the last wound, pulling it closed with practiced ease. Tipner disappeared into his cave again and came out with clean strips of cloth, certainly not bandages, but it would do. By the time he and Jack had finished bandaging Meth, Litman had kept him awake long enough and Tipner gave him the ok to let the boy sleep. Almost instantly did Meth fall asleep on the table, his blood dried on the scarred and twisted metal.

"Oy, Tipner?" Litman asked, eyeing the now sleeping boy.

"Yes?"

"Where did you get that table anyway?"

"The crew of Crematoria gave it to me." He answered.

"Beg yer pardon, but they don't shit to no one." Krent interrupted, stepping into the cave to look over Meth.

"Ah, but they do. In my old age they saw I had survived countless 'meal times' and in my earlier days, even killed off a few inmates who were 'pesky' to them. So, they 'rewarded' me with this table. Sickening, really." Tipner concluded, watching his patient move slightly in his sleep. "It would be wise for one of you to keep watch over him."

"I'll take first watch." Litman said.

"Second." Krent stated. It was left unsaid but Kyra took third, so with deep thanks to Tipner, she left his cell and went up to her outcropping, hoping to find some sort of rest and think over her scene with the alpha. Just as she turned to do so, she glanced down to see the inmate that was hung was now gone and a ravaged skeleton lay beneath it, twisted into grisly positions. Jack had no wish to move it, so she left it for the miners and continued her way up the steep rock.

Finally reaching her cliff, she pulled herself up onto it and found it blissfully empty. She never knew if someone else would make it up here, nor did she ever want to find someone else in her spot anyway. With a grunt she fell back down into a seated position then pulled herself out so she was laying on her stomach, looking over the cliff. She had the perfect view of Crematoria from here and even a partial view (if she was on her back) of the crew's quarters. God how she hated their guts and souls, but she knew escape was impossible. Well, perhaps with Riddick but he would have enough sense to keep himself out of the slam.

Jack allowed herself to think back to that scene with the cats. Surely she wasn't about to respected and accepted into their pride or pack, but she was further along than anyone else. Either way, Jack was determined to find a way to thank the alpha, whether it be through food or something else. As she continued to think on this, her eyes drifted across the prison cells and each scene within. For being in prison it seemed that each had their own agenda, whether it be survival or just the will to live. Jack stopped when she saw an unfamiliar shadow between two rock walls. Watching it carefully she saw this shadow was a man and one with a weapon. Not just a metal bar or self-made shiv, but a gun. The crew had access to Crematoria, but they never used it. Unless they were after her or another attractive inmate. Being the sick bastards they were, they often went for young boys, like Meth. Luckily Meth had been hidden safely away each time they went prowling for a fuck. Jack had always managed to escape in the end but she didn't dwell on the idea long of the one day she wouldn't be able to. Her thoughts back to the shadow, she saw it was disappearing deeper into the hidden crevice. She needed rest at the moment and decided she would investigate it later. Sitting up, she pulled herself back to the furthest wall in and with her legs crossed, she leaned against the smooth part of the rock and let her eyes close. Never asleep, but still resting.

Jack awoke to the dinner alarm and eased herself out of her rock and looked down. There was the usual unexcited rush for food and she jumped down to the closest ramp, which was a good thirty foot drop. Walking only a few steps from the rock, where the ramp ended, she stopped in front of Tipner's cell. Litman looked up at her appearance and moved away from his spot where he was keeping a constant eye on Meth, who was still deeply sleeping.

"You want to get me some semi-edible shit and I'll watch?" Jack offered, knowing that Tipner was farther back in the cave, probably sleeping.

"You know how they feel about extra portions." Litman replied, sarcasm dripping in his voice.

"Right, you can do it, take Krent with you." Jack replied, touching one of Meth's hand, finding it to be at a normal body temperature. Relieved at this, Jack looked up to see Litman was still at the door.

"Get your ass moving, Litman." She snarled, angered at his sudden lack of movement.

"Uh…Kyra, I don't think anyone's gonna be going for shit." He said, his eyes obviously focused on the ground below. Concern flashed in her eyes as she joined him, taking in the scene that was being played out far below her.

One of the crew members had found the remains of the inmate they had just put in last night. He was standing next to what seemed to be a merc, but she wasn't sure. At closer inspection, it seemed to be a sort of government official, a low down one at that. There was a heated argument over the pile of the bones, with some muscle and tendon still attached. It seemed from what Jack and Litman could hear, the government worker accused the crew of not doing their job. It was clear that the rest of the prisoners had ganged up against this inmate and had been the real murderer behind this. If they were ganging up, they could throw some sort of revolution and Crematoria could be overthrown. Jack snorted at this. This man was obviously blind. Start a revolution? Break free of Crematoria? Bullshit. She felt the need to go down and correct him.

Moments later she approached the still arguing pair. They didn't seem to want to stop at her appearance and she cleared her throat once or twice. At this point, it seemed that the crew needed to inspire more fear into the prisoners, so they would be less likely to organize to revolt.

"Hey. Shut up." Jack said, knowing she wouldn't be heard. "I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!" She shouted, jabbing her elbow into the government worker's stomach. She didn't need to know what 'more fear' would end up being, it was bad enough already.

"And who do you think you are?" The worker asked, rubbing his stomach. Jack narrowed her eyes and kept her hands fisted. She was dealing with a softie.

"Just another one of those prisoners." She replied, glaring at him. The crew member seemed content to radio his comrades and tell them that things could be sorted out without trouble. He stepped away and into the shadows, not noticed by the worker but easily seen by Jack. It was clear that the 'prisoners' were now allowed to do whatever they wanted with this worker.

"Well, leave, you aren't needed here." He stated, trying to sound so much more important then he actually was.

"I think I am. And what is this bullshit about us organizing to revolt?" She asked, a glare brilliantly shining from her hazel eyes.

"I don't know, but it does sound stupid." Litman appeared behind her, brandishing a length of rope that was already made into the hangman's noose. This clearly disconcerted the man who began to back up, only to trip and fall over the pile of bones he had just been arguing about minutes before.

"I can explain…" he started, only to silence himself after a few others appeared behind her. In his mind's eye, he saw a captain of a pirate ship, fearless and commanding with the crew's complete trust. But the smell of decaying flesh brought him back to present and he looked up to see a rather large crowd had gathered themselves, watching on.

"I'm sure you could, had you a ready army at your back. But it seems all you have is the rock. Alright, Litman, you've got control of this one. I want all valuable objects brought to me where I'll sort them out. Are we clear?" Jack ordered, ignoring the man's pleas that bounced off her, barely getting past her immediate train of thought.

"You'll get…" he started to yell, suddenly quieting.

"Thrown into slam? Looks like we beat you to it." Litman joked, also amused at the situation this man was in. "Well, looks like the kitties won't be goin' hungry again, eh Kyra?"

A bark of a laugh emitted from Jack as she thought of those creatures as kittens. She was only partially aware that many in Crematoria thought her to be sadistic by nature and possibly clinically insane. Her movement, her strange sense of dark humor and just her being wasn't one to mess with. Tipner had pointed this out many times and was also amused by her gallows humor, if not slightly wary of it. Her jokes of death had often become real in this hellhole, so it was hard whether to know to laugh or not when she spoke of such things. With a sigh she thought back to the alpha who had shown her particular kindness. Plans were slowly forming in her mind as she walked away, the frightened yells from the government official barely registering. She was about to start up another ramp when that crevice she was watching earlier caught her eye.

Slowly she looked around and all the inmates seemed occupied with the soon-to-be-cat-food man or their own meals. Looking up she counted all the crew members to be present in their main room, looking down and laughing at the man's plight. Relieved, she slipped back and into the crevice, which turned out to be a pathway leading deeper into the rocky being of Crematoria. Taking one final glance behind her, Jack unsheathed her blade and keeping it in a light, yet still useable grip, she moved forward, her treads making no sound against the sandy floor. Jack noticed that the cats had never been here, there were no paw prints or scrapes against the rock. So this was a human passage, one for the crew. Jack looked up to see the two walls of the pathway merge together, making it even more difficult to escape if something where to happen. Pushing on, she finally came upon a door, maybe after five minutes of slow and steady walking. Tapping the metal lightly, she was shocked to find it was a weak and maybe even thin metal. Certainly the kind an indestructible steel claw could tear through. Mind whirring with the possibilities, Jack pressed her ear against the door and faintly heard the jeers of the crew. So this had a direct way to that main room. Suddenly the noise grew and she turned, sprinting to the entrance way which she quickly reached and swung herself around the wall of rock that was the opening. Perched above the entrance on the steep slope, she wasted no time in scaling the rock. Nor did she need to turn around to see part of the crew had come down to observe what the inmates had decided to do with the government official.


	3. Chapter 3

**Beastly Bonds**

**Chapter III**

With a surge of strength and mostly faith in herself, Jack launched herself off the rock and leapt to the ramp, barely catching the walkway. Recollecting her surroundings and thoughts as she hung, she swung herself back and forth before completing a back flip, landing on the ramp in a crouch. Quickly standing, Jack walked away towards another ramp leading farther up. She continued this until she reached Tipner's cell, where Krent stood guard. Slipping in, she found Meth to be awake and stuttering his thanks to Tipner, who smiled and patted the boy's shoulder in response.

"You should be thanking Kyra as well." He spoke, making him turn around on the table and go slack-jawed.

"You saved me?"

"I did. Can't remember?" She asked, moving closer to him. He shook his head.

"Everything happened so fast. Thanks." He mumbled, swinging his legs over the edge of the table. Jack moved forward and gripped his knees with her hands, making him wince slightly. "I'm ok now." She gripped tighter, making him quietly whimper.

"You're feeling that pain. You are in no condition to go prancing around out there. If you ask Tipner nicely I'm sure he'll let you stay for a while. Until you're fit and healed." She said, nodding towards the old man.

"No need to ask, boy, you're welcome to keep an old man company." He said, sitting back into the well-worn seat. Meth nodded silently as Jack moved back, letting him test his leg. Sure enough he stumbled, only to be caught by her strong arms and led to the edge of the 'room', where she let him sit on the ground and stretch out his leg.

"Take it slow, Meth." She advised, walking around the table to talk to Tipner, whose eyes had closed. Shaking his shoulder lightly, Jack waited for him to reawaken and respond to her. A few seconds passed before he did that and gave her a look of distaste. Offering a weak smile in return, she offered her hand, which he took, letting her pull him to a standing position. "Stay here, Tipner and I need to talk." She ordered to the boy, who had been watching them out of the corner of his eye. With a nod he tried to find a more comfortable position while Jack called Krent in to watch the boy and keep him company. As she and Tipner exited the cell, they turned left, towards Jack's cliff. He followed in her silence, having a feeling this was something important. When they reached the end of the ramp, Jack turned to offer Tipner to hold onto her back while she climbed up. She tried not to think how that sad look flashed in his eyes, signifying that he also knew he was too old to be climbing the steep rock of Crematoria. As he held onto Jack, she noted he was experienced in knowing how to old onto her without choking her at the same time. As she reached the top, she gave a quick glance over the edge and found to her relief that it was still empty. Pulling herself up was no problem and apparently neither was pulling up Tipner at the same time. He easily unattached himself from her and found a comfortable spot to sit. He took in his surroundings as Jack did a security check.

The small area was quite dark, littered with few signs of life. At most there was a well-worn area where she must've used to sleep and a few etchings into the stone nearby. There was a deeper cave that she used for longer rests, but it was very hard to spot easily and even harder to get into. The natural formation of the rock provided many twists and turns in a five foot length that women could easily get through, but clearly much more difficult to men. Tipner didn't want to know how a man would fit in one of the areas, where the sharp rock could, with no trouble, do serious damage to the more delicate areas. He looked at the etchings, some of them names while others seemed to be verses of sorts. Making a mental note to ask Kyra who 'The Holy Man' referred to, Tipner turned his observations to the being itself, eyes glittering dangerously as they surveyed the area around her cliff. It was no wonder she had picked this hard to reach spot, seeing how she was the only female in Crematoria. Female human at any rate, Tipner added, wondering how many hormone-crazed men had attempted to climb that steep cliff only to be (what he imagined) viciously beaten and thrown off the other side, where the drop went straight down to where the miners worked.

"Alright, I think it's safe, Kyra." He suggested, seeing her body tense and relax as he spoke. With a final few seconds of observing, she turned around and nodded. "I see. A thorough job, I have to say. Nor a bad place to live. Your cave is…very nice as well." He gestured to the opening in the rock that was a safe haven for a woman and a torture chamber for a man. Jack chuckled at his ungrateful stare directed towards the sharp rocks.

"Tipner, I think I can do it." She spoke, moving closer to him and settling down, keeping direct eye contact with him. He was confused as to what she referred to, so he kept silent, furrowing his brow. "I mean escape." She whispered. To speak of such dreams and hopes was almost forbidden, seeing how every attempt resulted in a massacre of the inmates. Tipner immediately wanted to leave, knowing it was pure folly, but the determined hope and flare in Kyra's eyes made him stay.

"How do you suggest this?" He questioned, breathing deeply.

Jack launched into detail of her encounter with the alpha feline, her discovery and search of the hidden pathway to the crew's main room. She had not yet told her plan, but he had a general idea of what it was going to consist of. It wasn't a bad idea at all and nothing remotely like that had been attempted, at least in his memory and Tipner had been in Crematoria for over twenty years. He motioned for her to continue after he had digested the information.

"If I can become close enough to the alpha and maybe even some of the others, I could lead them to that doorway. I checked the metal, they could easily slice through it, no problem. Also I highly doubt they would have trouble following the scent of the crew. Right up into the main room, kill and eat the crew and we're free. We can use that freed passageway to get to the transport to the skiff. We take the skiff, take off and that's that. Sure there are some flaws in the plan, like the amount of people who might follow us, or the cats that could still be in the main room when we get there. But I think we can do it, Tipner. You, me, Litman, Krent and Meth. The five of us could take this on and do it. We don't have much to lose, you know." She finished, having trouble figuring out exactly what he was thinking of her escape plan. She was almost positive it would work and she could get Tipner out, which would be amazing. In her view he had no right to live his life in this shit hole, no matter what he had done.

"And what makes your plan so much better than all the other failed ones?" He emphasized 'failed', making the beast within Jack cringe slightly but then roar back with defiance.

"I'm using something they use against us against them. They would never expect it. Plus, we have the added advantage that the cats hate them and really don't have much against us, besides meals that run." Jack added, making Tipner smirk slightly.

"Just you, me, Litman, Krent and the boy? Why him?" Tipner asked, wondering what her attachment was to him.

"The kid isn't even a legal adult yet, I'm not letting him stay here. No fucking way." Jack said, an even conviction audible in her voice.

"He could end up like you, you know. Slaved out, wild-"

"Not when he's with us. Don't even think it, Tipner. The kid's coming whether you like it or not. My escape plan, my rules, my crew." Jack growled out. Secretly she was relieved to have him question her and remind her of all the possibilities of failure.

"You think Krent and Litman are gonna want to watch some kid's back while they escape?" He asked, receiving a blood-freezing glare from Jack, who looked ready to throw him over the edge of the cliff if he asked another question.

"It's not a matter of wanting to. Like I said, everything will be done according to me. I want out and I know the people who I want to escape with. We will look out for each other. Besides, I don't think it's the kid you should be worried about." She replied coldly, making him wince. She was clearly referring to him.

"I'm an old man, Kyra, why take me? I'll be a-"

"If you don't close your fucking mouth, you'll be the next sacrifice to the cats. You're coming and that's final. So is Meth. I don't want any more questioning, so you can get your ass off my cliff." She snarled as an unidentifiable glint shone in her eyes.

Later when Tipner sat in his cave, watching Meth stretch his leg and Krent and Litman talking quietly outside he knew he remembered that fear-inspiring glint from somewhere. Bringing his hand up to his face, he lightly traced the socket of his blind eye, wishing he could see fully. He knew if he had all of that dangerous glare he would be able to figure out where it was from. The woman, once Jack, now Kyra, had been through a hellish life and only had a short time of happiness. That had been when she was with Riddick, who had previously been her idol and savior, now just a shadow that lingered near her all the time. Whether she knew it or not, every time she used her hand-made shivs, she performed with it exactly like him. She held herself like he did, entirely unpredictable and extraordinarily smart, exactly like that hidden intelligence predators held. He wasn't surprised that she had been able to face down one of the cats, they were the same being except in different physical forms. Riddick would've been proud, if not impressed. Then suddenly it snapped. That glare, it was Riddick's. He remembered it from his one encounter in Butcher's Bay.

_While the drugs had slowed him slightly, their effect was small on his strong body. Tipner groggily opened both eyes and in a few seconds the fog cleared, revealing the entirely huge steel structure of Butcher's Bay. To mercs walking in front of him, two behind him. He could take this, but where would he go? By mistake he pulled to stretch his arms and legs and all the restraints on him shook and cranked to life. The two mercs in front spun around with stun guns and leveled them at his chest. The two in back prodded him with the guns to keep him going and Tipner refused to move. Then, suddenly, without warning, he turned and started at the mercs behind him, who freaked and almost dropped their stun guns. The two in front rammed the back of his head with the butts of their guns and Tipner shook it off in less then a second. He wasn't supposed to be here, that he knew and he was going to fight to get out of here. _

_Spotting the largest merc, Tipner stepped forward and smashed his skull into the man's head and as he stumbled back, he ducked and placing his neck between the merc's legs (as much as he hated to be there), he stood and purposely fell backwards and down, hearing yells of pain and various cracks and crunches. Running forward while the other three mercs were in shock as to what happened to the other, Tipner reached a wall and to find the closest door lock. Fisting his hands while still in the steel restraints, he swung his doubled fists into the door lock, hitting the restraint lock mechanism perfectly and opening the door. He quickly stepped into the room and saw the three remaining mercs run towards him as the door closed. Breathing a sigh of relief, Tipner shook off the hand restraints and looked around to see what was in the room._

_What he saw was the boss of Butcher's Bay and a young boy standing near him. He was no judge of age, but he assumed the kid couldn't be over twelve years. Tipner chose a few choice curses and swears before he let the boss talk. Go figure it was _**this** _room he broke into. _

_"Your knack for escape that I hear so often about is clearly true. I believe after your little show that merc is going to be hospitalized for quite a while. Congratulations." The boss spoke, his voice like whiskey in a shot glass. Enchanting and beautiful to look at and observe, but once you've had enough of it, it burns and tortures your mind and body. _

_Tipner didn't reply._

_"Forgive my manners, this young one here is Richard. Very strong for such a small lad, I must say. Although nothing quite as good can be said about his disposition. Enough of the chitchat, I believe you're here for a long stay?" He mocked Tipner and he had just had had about enough of it._

_He looked at Richard, who with his head held high and strong, returned the look. No matter his personality, this boy was a force not to be tampered with, that Tipner immediately saw. He wondered what he was doing in Butcher's Bay and why he was with the boss, but he didn't have time to dwell on it as the door opened again and two of the mercs came in._

_"YOU BASTARD!" One ran at him with a metal bar held over his head and Tipner easily ducked and launched the man off his back and onto the boss's desk. Backing up, he was relieved to be against a wall. At least his back was safe. The other merc looked at him sideways and sneered._

_"Come now," the boss said, shoving the fallen merc off his desk and onto the floor, "that's no way to treat a guest. And what is the price of this guest, hmm? I'll be willing to pay 6.5 million." _

_Tipner noted how Richard's eyes briefly widened at this figure. Clearly he hadn't been in on the information of the new prisoner and was surprised at the price. He was distracted by the snort and angered yell of the other merc. _

_"6.5 my ass, old bastard! Crematoria offered 8.5! You shittin' piece of crap, we aren't giving him up for that kind of pay." _

_"Ah, but you will unless you want to make the trip to Crematoria. Not a pleasant one unless it's an evening flight." The boss said smoothly. Tipner was really starting to hate this man and wondered if Crematoria held worse or better bosses. _

_"We'll make the trip, if just to get away from this cheap prison." The fallen merc clarified, standing next to the other still angry one. _

_"That's a shame, gentlemen. Perhaps you can stay a few days and we can sort it out. Your…product can be put into a temporary cell not far from here." The boss offered, watching the merc's faces turn into agreement._

_"Fine. But that price better go up, you limp dick or we're outta here and in Crematoria." The merc promised, roughly grabbing Tipner's arm to take him outside. He didn't realize that Tipner wasn't restrained and Tipner grabbed his arm and jumping up, placed his feet on the arm and landed it into the ground, hearing a satisfactory snap. Stepping back he drew back his fist and swung it at him, also breaking his nose. _

_"I don't need your fucking help to walk somewhere." Tipner snarled, his voice coming out low and rumbling. Shoving the bleeding man out of the way, he opened the door and looked behind him. "But I do need to know where this cell is."_

_"Richard, why don't you take our new guest to the temporary cell?" The boss commanded instead of asked, pushing the boy slightly forward. Without verbal consent, he walked through the door and past Tipner, turning left. Following him, he knew it was useless to make conversation with the kid, he was obviously the silent type. But it seemed that the boy was too curious to keep silent._

_"6.5 mil? 8.5? Who the hell are you?" Richard asked, his voice just as low and growling as Tipners, although it sounded more animalistic. _

_"The name's Tipner. My turn, what the fuck are you doing hanging around Butcher Bay?" He asked, seeing that they had stopped at a cell._

_"Boss is my uncle." He stated, stepping aside to let Tipner in. He walked in and looked around. Not too bad, he decided, although it wasn't a five-star suite. _

_"Parents?"_

_"Dead. Well, my father is."_

_"Mother?"_

_"With luck rotting away in a gutter on some shit planet." He said with malice._

_"You killed your dad. Good for you." Tipner concluded, but was suddenly shocked by the icy beast-like glare that Richard gave him. It held so much power and strength that Tipner thought he could stare down just about anything and anyone. Or even just bore right through their soul, as he was doing now. He felt like parts of him were crumbling inside, just freezing up and shattering when blood pumped through it. But as soon as it arrived, it left, leaving the same curious but hard look from before._

_"How did you-"_

_"Know? You got that same attitude I did, except I know my mother is dead. Absofuckinglutley sure. So, you wanna sit and chat?"_

_"I get a question. What's your last name?"_

_"Don't give it out. What's yours?"_

_"Riddick."_


	4. Chapter 4

**Beastly Bonds**

**Chapter IV**

It had ended that the boss simply wouldn't pay enough for him, so they went to Crematoria, where the 8.5 mil had been paid up. He had been there ever since and between the idea of escape and perhaps even meeting Richard all these years later…it was little mind-numbing. Holding onto one of the nearby rocks, he pulled himself up and slowly made his way to the ramp, where Krent was holding the door open for him.

"Thank you, Krent."

He replied with a grunt while Litman stayed silent.

"You always were so eloquent."

Krent chuckled.

"If not a little thick." He added, moving towards the continuation of ramp to the right, instead of to the left, where the steep cliff led to Jack's cave.

At this Litman let out a roaring laugh while Krent made insulted noises and smacked his friend on the back of the head. Tipner smirked as he made his way slowly down the ramps, feeling but not obviously taking note of the watchful stare that followed him. He knew although Kyra had been angered by him, she wasn't going to let anything happen to him. Not every convict in Crematoria respected him.

"Tipner!" Litman shouted, making him turn around and lean on the rusted metal railing.

"Is there something a matter, Litman?" He questioned, breathing deeply. He was a beast past its prime, majestically declining in strength as he grew older.

"You're going alone? What about the kid?"

"MY NAME IS METH!" A voice shouted from inside Tipner's cell, earning a flick of the middle finger from Litman.

"You can watch him, come with me, split up, it's your choice, gentlemen. Although I can assure you, I'll be quite safe." He replied, ignoring Meth's shout from before.

With an annoyed snort Litman instructed Krent to stay and watch Meth while he would go with Tipner. Jogging up to catch him, Litman shot him a dirty look before he continued to walk.

"Something wrong?" Tipner asked, glancing into the cells. It was a lull in time for Crematoria and many of the convicts rested. The miners were at work but they rarely stopped. Men covered in filth, a mix of dust, blood and who knew what else, were sleeping. Resting at least, but the occasional twitches in the limbs showed Tipner that they were in fact quite awake, just resting.

"Kyra's gonna be pissed. She wanted you to stay in your cell so both Krent and I could look after you." He growled, sending a warning glare to a convict who started to approach them. The man stepped away, knowing it wasn't wise to pick a fight.

"How is she going to know? I'm just going for a walk." He reasoned, sounding like he was a wealthy man taking a turn in the park with his terrier.

"She just knows." Litman stated, sparing a glance over the edge, where he observed that the majority of Crematoria was at rest.

"I highly doubt it. She just can't be everywhere at once. She isn't God." Tiper replied, realizing that the following stare was now gone and he suddenly felt a little afraid. Kyra usually had nothing better to do but to follow him and guard him, so why was she suddenly absent?

"God doesn't exist here, Tipner. You know that. Look at all this-"

"Litman. Do you hear that?" He asked, tightening his grip on the railing. They had stopped walking and the familiar feeling of the python constricting his insides and his thoughts. This python was commonly known as fear, but to Tipner it was deadly.

"Hear what? There isn't anything…oh fucking shit." He trailed off, realizing it as well.

"My reaction didn't involve as many curses, but yes, my thoughts exactly. I can't get back fast enough, pick me up. Now!" Tipner raised his voice, angry at both the fact that he was caught unawares and that he wasn't strong enough to run back to his own cell.

Litman easily scooped him up in his arms and hightailed it back to the cell. This caught the attention of the other convicts and just as they reached the cell door the buzzer sounded. Getting in, Krent slammed and chained the door shut, startling Meth who had been sleeping just moments before.

"What's going on?" He asked, pulling himself up.

"Feeding, that's what." Litman replied.

"So?"

"They knew we were getting too comfortable so they didn't have a feeding for a while. How long as it been?" Tipner asked, pulling himself into the worn seat in the stone wall.

"No idea, but a while. Too long." Litman supplied, glancing at the door. Shouts and screams were echoing in the prison and he turned away with his back to the prison bars.

"So? I'm still confused." Meth pressed, feeling nervous.

"Feeding time, kid. We are the food for those hellhounds. They don't get fed otherwise. They've been starving them since the last time they were released. They'll be absolutely fucking crazy now. I don't think we're even safe up here." Litman added, ignoring the paling of Meth's face.

"What…we…" he began to stutter as he heard the first roar.

"That wasn't necessary, Litman. We're perfectly safe and you know it. No cats-"

He was cut off by the steel body of one of the hellhounds slamming itself into the prison bars, knocking Litman to the floor. Grabbing the chain he pulled on it hard, closing the prison doors even tighter.

"SHIT!" Meth yelled, pulling himself back closer to Tipner. "Where's Kyra!"

"No time to think on that. Just…" For once Tipner found himself blank for reassuring phrases. The cat wasn't giving up, clawing and roaring as it dented the rusted bars even more. They were going to break soon and there would be a four person meal. Litman scrambled back, holding the chain tight. Krent helped him and they pulled back as far as possible without letting the chain go.

Meth covered his ears against the painful screeching of metal on metal as the cat dragged it's head down the prison bars, roaring and biting at the air the entire way. Yet suddenly in mid-screech, it stopped and Meth opened his eyes to find the cat was suddenly gone. The breathing of every man in the cell was labored, even panting. Fear had bitten them all, leaving a numbing venom behind. Yet Litman and Krent still held tight to the chain, the buzzer hadn't sounded yet so they knew the hellhounds were still out there. But as soon as the beast disappeared it came again, a raging fury of starvation hurdling itself against the prison bars and it one hit, they broke, sending flakes of rust everywhere. Litman and Krent only swallowed again when they felt the chains suddenly come loose in their hands.

Shaking it's head, the grey scales blazed into red and orange, rising as the emotion and anger in the animal became stronger. Meth had almost altogether stopped breathing as the hellhound approached them, now huddled together, awaiting to awaken in the bottom of the grim barge that would carry them down the river Styx. Saliva stretched between the opening canines as a throaty roar burst from the hungry animal. The tail, now a steel-plated whip of fire, snaked back and forth across the floor as the owner of it stalked closer. It eyes glittered like finely cut sapphires frosted with ice, sparkling in craving for flesh. Yet in mid-step, it stopped and raised its head and cocked it, its long smooth ears twitching.

A figure appeared in the entrance of the cell, teeth bared and snarling. In panting breaths it gave off waves of undeniable and intense strength, causing the hellhound to completely turn around and emit a warning roar. Green eyes showed only ire for the intruder and two shivs appeared in its hands. As Tiper gripped Meth's shoulder even harder, he realized immediately that this hellhound confronted Kyra as a threat, not only that but one that could easily be equal or better than itself. Both crouched in a defensive stance and ignored the shrill repeating buzzer, that was having no effect on the hellhounds. They had become too starved, too crazed and feral with hunger to even respond to the sound.

With the gravelly slide of Kyra's boot the fight started. Both launched at each other, blades and claws released and ready. She slashed at its neck, only to tear off a few scales, causing the hellhound to shriek in pain, falling to the ground in mid-leap. Yet it got up immediately, jumping at her again, but this time she was outside of the cell, waiting for it. They immediately went in the direction of the ramp, but didn't move from the front of the cell. Krent made a move to stand but Litman grabbed him and held him down, knowing it would draw the beast's attention. Tipner and Meth looked on in fascination as Kyra sliced and shoved at her opponent, never taking notice of the multiplying wounds on her own body. A brief break in the battle came when she kicked the animal backwards, making it collide with the metal table and fall to the ground. The table toppled with the weight and was shoved back by the push in the cat's body and made a sort of defense for the four men. The legs of the table faced towards them and they crawled behind it and kept a wary watch from just above the edge of the fallen furniture. Although her strength wasn't at its peak, Kyra stood, wiping blood from the side of her mouth. The beast was barely able to stand, limping on one paw. Blood trickled in rivulets down the natural muscled forms of both fighters, absorbed by the dusty floor. Jack reworked her grip on her shivs and went back down into a defensive stance, holding her ground. The hellhound released its claws and sheathed them again, slicing at the rocky surface beneath its feet. Only pained breathing was heard as the gladiators readied themselves for battle again.

With a single bound the hellhound made a final jump at Kyra, who sheathed her shivs and grabbed a lone steel bar from the mangled heap of prison bars, backing up to the edge. She met the jaws of the beast by horizontally slamming the bar into its mouth, locking it in its jaws and behind its razor sharp molars. Yet she was pushed back by the raw speed at which the animal had leapt and was falling down the center of the prison. Ramps flashed by as Kyra took out her shivs again, biting her lip against the pain as the hellhounds claws tore into the shoulders, securing a grip. With little time left, she managed to swing both legs around one side and hit the ribcage of the opponent, making it the bottom, its back hurtling towards the ground. Clenching its jaw, the prison bar snapped in two, falling out the sides. It tried to reach forward and bite her, but failed. Sensing its end was near, it let out a defeated roar of shame and Kyra felt it vibrate through the body. She barely saw the miners flee as she ripped off scarlet scales from the animal below her, finally reaching soft flesh. Raising both shivs above her head, she slammed both of them down into the vulnerable chest cavity, causing instant death. Yet seconds later both were slammed into the ground, right down through a rift in the ground where miners worked, creating a small crater. Body exhausted with shock and loss of blood, Kyra collapsed on top of the dead hellhound's body, instantly welcoming the gentle, numbing darkness that enveloped her.

Silent minutes passed as the dust settled, but still the miners refused to move from their hiding places. Far above the heads of Krent, Litman, Meth and Tipner could be seen, necks craning over the railing, trying to see if Kyra was still alive. The silence was broken as the buzzer sounded again, but flashes of crimson scales were still flickering about, only briefly distracted by the commotion, but more interested in their meals. A brave miner stepped forward but was flattened by a steel blur of silver. From above Tipner recognized it as the alpha that Kyra had described before. Larger than the rest, it proudly wore battle scars and had even dealt a few grisly blows to the guards. While the other hellhounds only had prominent top and bottom canines, the alpha's mouth was akin to a saber tooth tiger's. The canines weren't abnormally long, but almost every tooth except for the back molars were canines. Before he had been thrown into slam, Tipner had had the rare chance to be educated. He had been interested in biological sciences and had studied a species similar to the hellhounds that prowled Crematoria. Looking back onto the scene, the miner scrambled back with a warning growl from the alpha. It had obviously already fed, seeing how it didn't grab an easy meal by the legs. Scanning the area, it seemed to decided that it was safe to turn its back to the rest of the prison and did just that. Dipping its head to the ground, it sniffed towards the edge of the crater, swiping at one of the broken prison bars, causing it to skitter across the floor and fall into another mining rift.

Walking into the crater, the alpha warily observed the scene. The other hellhound was obviously dead, seeing how its body was now twisted into angles impossible to survive. The two shivs twisted into the open chest, which the alpha saw as removable talons, also was proof of the death. Moving closer, it breathed out, ruffling the mussed hair of the killer. This resulted in a sudden body twitch, making the alpha step back. A groan emitted from the form as it moved and barely managed to sit up. Kyra opened her eyes to find the calm, if not curious, and intense blue eyes of the alpha hellhound staring directly at her. Running her hand through her hair, she cracked her back as she sat up straighter, earning a look of question from the other hellhound. Turning to the side, she looked at the one she had killed. Grabbing both shivs, she wrenched them out and wiped them clean on her pants. Sheathing them she glanced at the alpha, who had relaxed into a seated pose, watching her every movement. What was she supposed to do now? She had killed one of them and wasn't sure if there was a rite she was entitled too.

Standing, she stumbled slightly but gained balance quickly. This wasn't a time to be weak, she told herself. Stepping over the body of the hellhound, she looked around and her eyes rested on the mutilated body of the government official. It had become a meal as well and it had been a request of hers to have it done. Did she have some sort of power over them? Shaking these thoughts aside, she bent down and slipped her arms beneath the body, pulling it from the crater. It wasn't easy but in a few moments it laid on the dusty floor, not two feet away from the alpha, who watched on with interest. Kyra sat down on the ground between the two hellhounds with an undignified 'thump' and she swore the alpha was laughing at her. Looking to her right, she saw the dead hellhound's eyes were still open, still looking starved and crazed. Jack suddenly tensed with mental pain and fear when she saw the eyes from the angle she was sitting were shining silver. In her mind's eye, a gruesome scene unfolded.

_He had been caught and thrown into highest security solitary, where the guards actually did their job. His goggles gone, the darkness vainly sought after but only bright white light surrounded him. He was blind in this environment. His physical and mental defenses began to crumble, he no longer fought back when the guards came in and abused him. Any touches too intimate would result in a lost body part, but soon even that was impossible. Broken with starvation for darkness and crazed with the gnawing undying will to survive, dull silver eyes stared out from a dead skull. _

_In her mind's eye, her idol had fallen._

Jack shook herself free of these images, brought back into reality by the wetness on her face. The brief images had brought stinging tears to her eyes and they washed away dirt, leaving tracks of clean skin behind. Roughly wiping at her eyes, she turned to the left to see the alpha sitting alarmingly close to her, so close she could feel the inhale and exhale of its ribcage. Her eyes went back to the dead hellhound and to chase away the nightmarish thoughts, she leaned over and closed it eyes. She immediately sat back, closing her eyes tight, unbidden images of a broken Riddick plaguing her vision. Kyra was startled into consciousness when she felt a rough tongue licking her shoulders. Glancing behind her, she found that the alpha was licking the wounds the dead hellhound had given her. The tongue, like the scales, was by no means gentle. Its rough, methodical rhythm did soothe the pain slightly, but it felt like wet sandpaper being dragged over the open skin. Yet it still calmed her considerably and by the time it was over, she was almost missing its presence. Turning in her still seated position. She slowly raised a hand to its head and was relieved to see it push its head into her hand, like a loyal dog wanting a good scratch behind the ears.

Fully turning so she faced it, she quickly glanced at its underside and confirmed that the hellhound was male. Looking back up, she rubbed his ears and her hand came over the tag pierced into the ear. Frowning she saw it was labeled '19' and she suddenly wanted to take it out. To the crew, the hellhounds and the prisoners were just about the same. Both labeled as unnamed creatures, grouped into the same inferior category. Going back down to his neck, she held onto it as support as she stood, her body still shaken up from the fall.

Tipner had been watching from above and the pair was oblivious to their surroundings. In the center of the floor of Crematoria, they sat on the grey black rocks that were formed from lava flows, making them smooth and rounded. The yellow fumes from the mines wafted up, but didn't seem to bother them. From his view, the wooden and metal ramps and rails created a sort of picture frame, including the fallen hellhound, whose scales were still turning from a fiery red to grey.

**Thanks to these reviewers:**

**---I'm sorry I couldn't fit it in earlier, it's just that I had already posted the chapters in my account. But here they are:**

**gbmarie – thanks for reviewing, hope she's still going strong.**

**NightmareWeaver – I'd go into hiding if I were you, too. Thanks for reviewing. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Beastly Bonds**

**Chapter V**

Some of the hellhounds had returned to the guards, but a few still lingered, following closely behind the alpha and Kyra. She assumed they were showing a sort of loyalty by doing so, but it still kept her on edge. She kept one hand on the railing and the other on the raised head of the alpha, who seemed to know she was heading towards Tipner's cell. Kyra felt her strength replenishing and let go of the rail as she continued upward. She was a little sad that there wasn't soft fur she could hold onto, but somehow in the undoubtedly spiritually unbalanced prison that was Crematoria, scales seemed a better deal.

The alpha stopped suddenly and Kyra looked up from her thoughts and the ramp to see Tipner and Litman standing in front of Tipner's cell. Moments later, Krent appeared, holding Meth around his waist while he limped outside. She suddenly realized that these four men, now with the alpha hellhound, were her family. Of sorts, of course, but nonetheless her own small pack. The pack she would escape with. She also couldn't help but note the relieved look in all their faces at her surival.

"Quite a fall you took there, Kyra." Tipner spoke suddenly, breaking the observing silence.

"Yeah, but I'm still here. Everyone in the cell, we've got plans to execute." She motioned into the now broken cell. The table had been righted and the mauled prison bars separated and shoved into a disorganized pile next to one of the walls. Tipner went into his usual spot, Litman stayed standing while Krent slowly lowered himself and Meth to the ground, still acting as support. With both of their legs stretched out, Meth leaned on Krent, resting his head on the older man's shoulder. Kyra sadly noted that this sort of affection usually led to pain in this kind of environment, but she walked in with the alpha at her side. She barely needed to turn to know that at least five hellhounds stood outside, resting on the ramp or perched on an outcropping of rock. They all watched on, scales turned back to a dark grayish colour, making the humans feel a little less on edge.

"Everyone alright?" She checked, glancing behind her as the alpha gracefully launched himself on the metal table, sitting behind her, his warm breath a breeze on her neck.

"We're doing alright." Litman replied, his eyes resting on the various hellhounds positioned around Tipner's cell. "But…they…"

"Are our allies now. I'm sure by now they all recognize you by scent at least. They're going to help us and I've made a sort of bond with this one here." She stated, reaching her hand back and letting it rest on the muzzle, showing she wasn't scared of him and he wasn't about to eat her. Meth looked terrified, as did Krent reveal more concern for Meth than he did the prospect of working with the beasts that had been hunting him for all his years in Crematoria. Tipner nodded knowingly and Litman let out a small snort of disbelief. But if it held the chance of getting him out of here, it would be worth it to believe.

"Does it have a name?" Tipner finally asked, seeing how kind it was acting towards Kyra.

"It's a he and not yet…wait…I do have a name." Kyra said, not looking at Tipner but into the controlled eyes of the hellhound. While alive, he too bared a resemblance to Riddick, wild by nature but calculating when necessary.

"And…" Tipner urged, knowing exactly what she saw in the animal.

"Neunzhen."

"Ne-what?" Meth asked, the fear slowly ebbing.

"Neunzhen. Nineteen in an old earth language. On his tag it says nineteen. The others…well, I suppose they'll follow." She concluded, amused to see how Neunzhen brightened at the new name. "Now, I'm getting us out of here. We've got the hellhounds, this can be done. Everyone, gather." She instructed, flattening out the sand on the floor with her boot. Meth flinched when suddenly a blade appeared in her hand, but realized he would have to get used to it.

She began to draw various figures and numbers that made no sense to anyone, not even Tipner. Kyra was calculating time, in getting to the crew, killing the crew, adding time in case there were injuries, gathering supplies and getting to the hanger. Usually only mercs had possession of ships, but luckily the skittish, always-ready-to-flee crew of guards kept their own ship, directly beneath the hanger for merc ships. It was a secret, but Kyra had heard them talking about while drunk. She had been on her back on her cliff, looking at the electrical lighting in the main room. She had been wondering when she would have her own main room in a ship, or even a house or apartment.

"Three, six, ten…fifteen, thirty…maybe forty minutes at most for the entire process." She concluded, scuffing out the plans with her boot. A few sketches still littered the floor and to her they resembled the pathway of each leg of the escape journey. From Tipner's cell to the hidden door to the main room, then on the sled, from the main room to the hangar.

"So when are we doing this?" Krent spoke, making Kyra glance sharply at him, her blade still in hand. "I mean…" he began to lose thought when she gave him her steady questioning stare. "Meth…he needs whatever…med shit they have on the ship or in the…main room…"

"What, my surgical skills aren't to your liking?" Tipner asked, meant in jest.

"No no! I just mean it would be best if-"

"No offense taken, Krent. You're good to think of it. Did you calculate that in, Kyra?" He asked, turning from Krent to her, who had one hand resting on the head of Neunzhen and the other dangling, holding the shiv in a light grasp.

"Yes."

"But back to Krent's original question, when is this going to occur?" Tipner pressed, trying to shake the images of dictators standing over their soon-to-be regions filled with miserable slaves. Yet there she stood, ferocious in a cold fury, every bit as controlled as she had trained to be. Riddick's teachings were clear in this light.

"Now." She said, her stare focused suddenly on Tipners. "They'll be coming in soon with a whole load of fucking shit to get the hellhounds back. They'll eventually realize there is a reason they didn't return, we've got to do it before they reinforce themselves. It would be enough danger with the usual weapons they have."

"Well, then, may I pack?" He questioned, sounding very insulted at the bad timing. Kyra replied with a barking laugh.

"Go ahead. Krent, take Meth down to that hidden entrance I described. Don't be obvious. Litman, stay with Tipner, help him pack, give him assistance if he needs it. I want you down with Krent and Meth in five minutes tops, got it?"

"Got it with my undivided attention, General." He mock saluted her, receiving a smack up the head, given by Tipner. His traitorous thoughts of Kyra being too insanely confidant had died, he was going to follow her and believe in her, like Krent.

"Good. Neunzhen, with me." She turned her back on the two remaining men and walked out of the cell, sheating her shiv. Neunzhen was at her heels and the other hellhounds were getting up to follow. She began to climb the steep cliff to her cave, listening to the crunch of rock as each hellhound made their way up behind her. Pulling herself up, she waiting until each hellhound had seated themselves. It was a tight pack, but she looked at each of them, their battle scars, their curious eyes and their impressive bodies, their scales not hindering them one bit. Briefly she wondered what they looked like as cubs, but pulled herself back to reality. She didn't have much time, either.

"You've heard the general plan, but I'm going to need your help to pull through. I know this planet is your home, you were born and raised here. I'm giving you a chance to go back, into the wild. All I ask for is your strength. I'm not like those men who abuse you, whip you, strike you with spiked hammers and metal rods. I will treat you with respect and wariness." She paused, seeing a change in the hellhounds. Their body language no longer held suspicion, perhaps a slight fear, but open curiosity, open eagerness.

"You will follow me through the soft metal door, up into the main room. I'll need you to go first, but I'll be with you. Those other men, Tipner, Litman, Krent and Meth, I don't want to risk their lives. But I'm fine, you and I will be side by side. We will take down every crew member. They'll be having a sort of meeting, I bet, on why you haven't returned and what to do. We attack then. I can let you out through the air shafts, then you'll be free. Do what you do best, wreck havoc, maim them, eat them but whatever you do, kill them." She finished and glanced at Neunzhen, who was looking over the other hellhounds with satisfaction gleaming in his bluish silver orbs.

"So, Neunzhen, think it can be done?" She asked, running her fingers down the smooth skin of his ear, making him flick it out of her touch.

In reply he gave her a look that said 'don't be stupid.'

"Good." She nodded and looked over her cliff, seeing that the four others were already near the entrance. "This is going to be fast, let's go."

With that she leaped off the cliff and began to slide down the almost vertical rock, listening to the hellhounds behind her and Neunzhen was next to her. He gave her support as she began to fall back. Clenching her jaw as she reaching the breaking off point of the rock, she picked up her feet and began to run. Reaching the edge, she leapt off, her feet still running in the air. Pulling her knees up into her chest, she somersaulted and landed in a practiced crouch, the rock cracking and breaking beneath her steel plated boots. She stood up in a jog, the hellhounds not far behind, providing her a sort of protection from curious miners, who were inmates, not the code-abiding convicts. In seconds she reached the entrance and was relieved to see Meth already latched onto Krent's back and Litman and Tipner ready to go. Running past them she was glad to hear that they had let the hellhounds follow her and they would be going last.

The pathway was dark, but she continued to run, comforted by the rhythmic thud of the paws near her. Seeing the glint of the metal door she pulled her body flush against the sharp rock, not feeling the rough rock claw against her skin, leaving bloody patches. The hellhounds didn't need any telling as they easily took down the door, the first tear going straight through. With only one body slam the door gave and Kyra leapt through, easily spotting the stairs that led to the main room. Without hesitation, shivs found their way into her hands as she tore up the stairs, not alone. With a sudden roar, a hellhound sped past her and jumping to a higher rock on the wall, leapt off, flying high over Kyra's head. With another bound on a rail, launched itself into the main room. The crew looked suddenly shocked at the appearance of a hellhound and barely took out their weapons before two throats were ripped out.

Anatoli, the overweight man who had had eyes for Kyra since she first landed here, was now backing away from her in complete fear. She didn't see it, but her green eyes now blazed like the 700 C˚ sunrise that waged war on Crematoria every morning. With a blade drawn back over her shoulder on second, the next Anatoli falling like lead to the floor, gurgling blood pouring through the hanging entrance of the prison.

Looking behind her, another guard ran at her yelling, but she dipped and tripping him, stood up and straddled his back, pulling up his upper body and grabbing his face in her hands, gave it a sharp twist. The broken neck instantly killed him as she stood again, seeing how the hellhounds had done most of the work. Flesh, bones and blood littered the main room, the blue light emitting from the security camera screens glowing brightly as ever. Yet now it cast a eerie light over the dead bodies, still pumping out rivers of the scarlet liquid that was lapped up by the hellhounds.

This had been easier then planned, but she glanced up at the screens to see prisoners running up, trying to escape as well. Cursing she yelled at the stony-faced Krent to lock the doors. In tense moments she watched a convict run towards the first gate and just in time did he pull the lever, slamming the iron gate in his face. This was the only way out for them, unless they wanted to climb the rope up. She felt no compassion for the other prisoners and pulling up the rope, created a quick noose. Kyra barely saw the blood, dirt and sweat leaving stripes down her arms as she quickly worked.

"Neunzhen!" She called sharply, watching the bloodied muzzle jerk up. He had been pulling flesh from the slam boss' calf and swiped at his head when he moaned in pain. "Bring the bastard here."

Feeling no positive emotion towards the boss with a Russian accent, Neunzhen clamped his jaws around his shoulder and easily dragged him over to Kyra.

"You fucking bastard, you only get what you deserve." She snarled, slamming her boot into his face, the steel shattering the nose on impact. With a quick motion, she looped the noose around his neck and while tightening it, let him drop through the hole, a satisfying snap of spine echoing back up to them. A few startled shouts from the prisoners below followed that and Kyra saw that Tipner and Litman had done a very thorough job of cleaning out the stores. Med supplies, ammunition, guns, knives, food, water and even some alcohol had all been found, not to mention a few books that Tipner greedily and gleefully shoved into his bag.

"Ready?" She asked, glancing down at the now dead boss. She heard shouts of possible attempts to grab onto the dead body and climb up. Not if she had a choice. Sheathing one of her shivs, she sliced the rope like warm butter, the once taut length now limp and falling.

Turning back, she was faced with eager hellhounds, full from being fed. Two perched on the control panels, licking blood off of their paws. A few others were sitting while another paced the small length of the room. Neunzhen didn't budge from her side, watching his pack.

"You did as promised. Now so will I." She spoke to no one in particular, moving forward to open the air shafts. Slowly pushing her foot down on the lever, she heard the familiar hiss of stale air being drawn out. Guiding them through, she watched from inside the pack running free over their territory to be marked. They had looked like zoo animals in the prison, but now they seemed to blend right into their natural environment. Turning to Neunzhen, she offered again his freedom, but he steadfastly stuck to her side.

"Can we go now?" Litman cautiously asked, not wanting to invoke her wrath. He had seen her fighting before, not unlike the hellhounds she battled alongside with. As she turned to answer him, her body twisted in the same feline grace he had seen when that now dead hellhound had twisted through the air with. Gulping, he shook his head of the image of Kyra, once majestic with fierce intelligence and power, broken, dead and dishonored, her grave the shattered rock of Crematoria.

With a quick nod, she armed herself with a gun and walked through them, seeing again how Krent was never more then two feet away from Meth, who was shakily trying to walk on his own. As she locked and scrambled the door mechanics to the sled once everyone was with her, she briefly looked back in memory to what Meth had done moments ago.

_She had been occupied with killing the second guard when one gun shot rang out higher and more painfully than the rest. For a single instant she looked behind her, where Meth was holding a gun, still raised in firing position. A dead guard lay at his feet, who had presumably been aiming at Krent._

_She figured this out by seeing how Meth had suddenly stood in front of him and when she had dimly heard him shout Krent's name as he pulled the trigger of his gun. Meth's first kill. It had not been in wasted blood, nor had he done it for his own protection. He had killed a man to protect another, which, in Kyra's book, was probably the best way to go through ones first kill. At the time she was busy with thinking what to do about the prisoners who wanted to escape as well, but she had made a mental note to take Meth aside once they were home free in the shipping lanes. He may be able to not show it, but first kills always leave a scar. _

She stopped to observe the scene. Her pack had just half-completed an escape from Crematoria and here they were arguing viciously over who would sit where on the sled. Clearing her throat, she saw Litman pale slightly, who had been in fierce debate with Tipner. With a few hurried words, it was decided. Kyra and Tipner would sit in the front, while Litman would sit behind them. While it wasn't made for hellhounds, Neunzhen took place next to Litman. Krent and Meth took the back, where Meth could keep his leg stretched and Krent could keep an eye on him. While he positioned the goggles over his eyes, Tipner saw how the older man made Meth side closer to the seats, while he would sit in the more dangerous spot, towards the edge and back of the sled. His still-seeing eye blinked as he thought to talk to Kyra about this later.

No one talked during the ride as the pace increased, along with every grip of each passenger. Neunzhen looked relieved to say the least when the sled came to a crashing halt, throwing everyone slightly. He stumbled from the side, hoping he wouldn't need to find a place to deposit his just-eaten meal. Throwing the goggles back to her seat, Kyra helped Tipner out of the sled and watched him walk towards and up the stairs to the empty hangar. Seeing that Litman had also left the sled, she smirked as she looked on from behind Krent sweeping Meth off his feet and walking up the stairs.

She almost laughed as she heard the indignant claims from Meth that he wasn't a princess in need of a knight in shining armor, but it died in her throat when she perceived the fleeting look of hurt in Krent's eyes. Throwing Tipner's bag over her shoulder, she promised to herself she would look into this later and walked up the stairs to meet with the others, Neunzhen in tow.

"We're missing the ship, Kyra." Litman stated, seeing how she had stopped and was staring at the floor, as if willing it to split open and a ship appear.

"Don't be stupid, it's here." Tipner snapped back, still slightly peeved over the argument before the sled-ride.

"Where!" Litman yelled, gesturing his hands. "We don't have much time until that fucking sunrise ruins this! KYRA!"

"Shut it, Litman, I'm working on it." She replied, her voice still calm. But the warning growl from the hellhound silenced him. She had begun to walk around the hangar, as if looking for something. Finally she found the hidden switches and levers behind a locked panel and she had no problem prying it open with one of her shivs. Pulling the levers and pressing the switches had no effect and she wanted to scream. They were feet away from their escape, it was right beneath them and this wasn't doing it.

"TIPNER!" She yelled, ready to sink both of her shivs into the panel box. He hurried over, carefully avoiding Neunzhen by going to the other side of Kyra.

"You called?" He asked sarcastically.

"You can bet your ass I did. Why isn't this working?" She gestured impatiently to the switches and levers.

"Let me work with it…bah, children, never patient for anything. Make yourself useful, Kyra." He suddenly sounded like the admonishing adult and she swallowed, feeling exactly like a small child – completely and totally embarrassed. "Well, I said go do something useful…go help Krent with Meth's leg."

She turned on her heel and sheathing her shiv, knelt to where Meth was sitting, leaning against a wall with his legs stretched out before him. Krent was inspecting the wound as well as looking over the various med supplies they had.

"Doing alright, Meth?" She asked, keeping her eyes on Krent's hands. He was smart and surprisingly calm in medical situations, but anyone could mess up a wound like this.

"Yeah, thanks Kyra." He replied, taking in a hissing breath of air and making Kyra snap up her head and stare at him, green eyes flashing.

"Krent. Stop. When Tipner gets this ship up I know there will be a med bay. Do you have any painkillers in there?" She asked, moving down towards the wound.

With a grunt, one of his scarred large hands moved with unexpected grace through the small box. He removed a small package and from the contents, seemed to contain heavy painkillers. She nodded and pulling a flask of water from her belt, handed it to Meth and made sure he swallowed the pills. In a few minutes his pained face relaxed and shortly after that, he nodded off to sleep.

"Christ, Krent, what the fuck were those?" She asked, watching his gaze rest protectively on Meth's body. "Krent." She pressed again and he was startled out of his watch. Stuttering, he flipped the ripped package over a few times and gave her some label that she didn't recognize. Standing, she put a hand on his forearm and gave it a slight squeeze. "It's ok, Krent. Watch Meth and we'll give you the ok when you bring him on board."

Just as she finished her sentence a triumphant cry came from Tipner and suddenly the floor shuddered beneath their feet and began to separate. Krent immediately scooped up a sleeping Meth in his arms and walked to where the floor stopped moving out. Litman had been standing guard and on watch for the sunrise after he had opened the doors to the runway. He jumped in the air and crowed in delight.

"The devil is kind! He sent us a ship! Woohoo! Take that!" He yelled, pointing his stun gun up in the air, presumably towards heaven. Kyra laughed out loud and swooped down and hugged Neunzhen, who stiffened in surprise.

"WE'RE FREE!" Litman shouted, watching the ship come up from below. His eyes lit up like a child's during Christmas and is jaw even dropped when he saw the ship. "Holy shit…Kyra that's…"

"I know, Litman…trust me I know." She was almost as speechless as he was upon seeing the ship. She had no question it was top of the line everything, from security to sewage disposal. A black ship, it was sleek and smooth on the outside, made to escape.

Moving towards it, she ran her hand across the surface, closing her eyes. A barely audible moan escaped her lips as she felt the almost silky metal pass beneath her hand. Pressing the side of her face to the ship, she heard and felt the hum of the ship on conserving energy. The cold exterior was warmed by her flesh and she turned her head and moved down the ship, her hands tracing idle designs on the black ship. Turning her head again, she placed a light kiss on the metal.

Suddenly she felt light-headed and weak, yet invincible and omnipotent at the same time. Kyra slid to the floor, much to the alarm of Neunzhen, who immediately acted as support as her body shook with tremors. She barely heard the frenzied shouts of Litman, who ran over and she heard Tipner's footsteps behind her. Soon Krent was there as well, but he made no noise.

"Hey…hey girl, you alright? Talk to me, Kyra. Don't let up on us now." Litman spoke quickly, kneeling and holding her shoulder. He felt the erratic pulse beneath his hand and was relieved when it began to slow to a normal speed. "Tipner…"

"No worries, Litman, Kyra is fine." He assured him, resting a hand on her head. Kyra pulled her head away from his touch and leaned it against Neunzhen's chest, where she heard the steady beat of his heart. Lifting her head, she swallowed slightly and as she spoke, her voice was weak, but it held pure gratitude.

"So this is what freedom feels like."

**Sorry this chapter took so long! Hope the length made up for the wait.**

**Thanks to these reviewers:**

**Iridescent Twilight – I apologize again about the wait, but the moment I read your review I got straight to it. I'm really…honored to say the least. That's one of the nicest things _any_ reviewer has ever said. Hope this keeps up to par. Thanks for reviewing.**

**NightmareWeaver – Whee! Thanks, glad you liked it. I always get nervous when I think the most recent chapter just isn't as good as the last one, hope it was. showers you with gifts and caffeinated beverages sequel to Darkness soon? Please? **

**ren3017 – More nice things! Glad you like my stories, and I think you know there is a sequel to Keeping Faith coming up after this. If you're interested, that is. **

**Note: I hate having to say this, but with all these amazing reviews I get, I really do wonder how good it is. So please, review. If you're a writer as well, you know how good it feels to get reviews, so grace me with the same feelings.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Beastly Bonds**

**Chapter VI**

**WARNING: This chapter contains questions and references to homosexuality. If you are in any way upset or unnerved by this, don't read it. If you are and you still read this and you flame me, that's just you being stupid and asking for trouble. So please, take heed.**

**To the reviewers of this story: I drew a creature from Chronicles of Riddick and it took me two nights. The URL is at the bottom. If you don't want to review my story, you can certainly comment on that, instead. **

**And FINALLY! The story:**

**Note: THOUGHTS are in _ITALICS_**

As the door hissed shut, the air lock going into place, they all felt one step closer to freedom. Without words they moved, immediately readying themselves for takeoff. Kyra had already taken place in the captain's chair, which she noted was lined with leather. Smirking as she checked the power cels, the computer systems and ship controls, she wondered what Riddick would think of leather on a captain's chair.

_Damn, don't get ahead of yourself. Let's get off this hell planet first. _

Neunzhen had seemingly taken up permanent residence at her side and he rested his head on the edge of the control panel. Gently rubbing her thumb down his nose, Kyra looked to her right to see Litman sitting down in the co-pilots chair.

"You can fly?" She asked, seeing Tipner strap himself in behind them.

"You can bet your rack on it, sweety." He replied, receiving nothing short of a smack on the head with one of her shivs. "Damn, that's going to leave a bump! Scar even!"

"I suppose my thoughts that you had learned not to insult Kyra's womanhood by now are complete delusions." Tipner commented from behind, replied with a contented growl from Kyra.

"Jeez, my bad. HEY! Krent! You alright back there?" Litman changed the subject, seeing how Krent had disappeared with Meth's unconscious body for some time. He appeared in seconds, looking satisfied. "Kid strapped in?"

Krent nodded.

"Good. Gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts." Kyra said, starting to flip the switches for takeoff. The hum of the ship grew louder, but wasn't unpleasant to the ear. "Make sure all luggage is stowed away. It can either be placed below the seat in front of you or above in the overhead bins. If you need assistance with this, please contact a flight attendant now." She continued, earning a smirk from Krent, who had seated himself behind her.

"Man…what I would give for some sexy flight attendant…" Litman muttered, beginning to set a course to the nearest shipping lanes.

"This is your captain speaking. We're clear for takeoff. Alright, you sonovabitches, it's time to do this shit." She laughed aloud as she pulled the final lever. They sped across the runway and she began to pull back on the controls. The nose lifted into the air and soon the body of the ship followed. Clearing the mountain tops, she glanced to the left to see that the sunrise was maybe four minutes away, at tops. Grinning as they penetrated the atmosphere, she almost yelled in pure delight when they smoothed out and the auto-controls went into work. Un-strapping herself she launched out of the chair and grabbed Tipner by his hands.

A sort of excited dance ensued, where Kyra was moved between Tipner, Litman and Krent, joyful shouting and yelling all the while. Finally exhausted, she slipped to the floor where Neunzhen, apparently just as happy, licked her cheek. Sighing and smiling at the same time, she watched as Tipner stretched out his back, Krent went to check on Meth and Litman search out the alcohol.

"We've done it, Tipner. You're not gonna die in that godforsaken shit prison." She murmured, a tired tone masked her voice. With a grunt she pushed herself from the floor and took her place in the captain's chair.

"We have, indeed. We're going to have to change our names and ID's, but I think that can wait. Kyra, you've realized what we just did, don't you?" He asked seriously, gesturing the general space around him.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and her green eyes darkened with thought.

"…stating the obvious? We just escaped from prison."

"No…we, together, well, mostly you, we just broke out of a **triple-max security slam**." He emphasized the last term, making Kyra grin with more happiness.

"Second to do it after Riddick." She added, seeing Litman waltz back in, vodka bottle in hand. She knew it had been sealed when he had first found it and now it was close to a fourth empty. "Litman, I can't have drunk pilots, give that to Tipner."

"Now…sweetie…'m not drunk…jusssst a tad…" he swayed for a moment and looked questioningly up into the metal ceiling, as if it would provide the word he was looking for.

"Tipsy?" Tipner offered. He jumped at Litman's reply.

"EXACTLY! NOW! What we goin' to call thisss shhhip?" He stumbled into the copilots chair, almost stepping on Neunzhen's tail, who gave him a warning snarl. Kyra smirked and leaned forward and easily removed the bottle from his hands. She wasn't fond of hard alcohol or the stuff in general. Hand her something with taurine and she was happy, that's all she wanted.

"Good question, Litman. Here, take these. Here's some water." She opened his palm with her hands and placed two pills into it that she had taken from one of her many pockets. He looked stupidly at them and gave her an asking stare as she opened the water.

"Kyra…are you…drugging me?" He asked, blinking his eyes rapidly as he reached out for the water.

"Now why would I do that?" She asked, meaning it to be rhetorical.

"Well…if the sex is that rough…" he mumbled, after swallowing the pills. Her eyes widened and she gave him a very sharp kick in the shins, making his eyes snap open. She waited for him to say something but his eyes drooped again and in seconds his snores filled the cockpit.

"Dare I ask what those were?" Tipner questioned, grinning.

"Same shit we gave Meth. Knocked him right out, I'm sure Litman will thank me when he gets over his hangover. He really doesn't hold his alcohol well, does he?"

"No…no he doesn't…well, it was a good question, Krya. We should get working on those ID's soon, shipping lanes can't be far off." He added, not offended when she spun her chair around and checked the stats for how long it would take for them to get to the shipping lanes.

"A long five weeks. That is if we take the possibly longest way to get there. I think we'll need it, don't you?" She asked, swinging her chair around halfway through her sentence.

Tipner nodded as he stood and walked forward to Kyra, making Neunzhen look up and let out a small, almost inaudible growl. He pushed his long white hair out of the way as he looked directly at her green eyes with his one brown one. It was just as cold as hers could be, judging and contemplating.

"Are you still going to be Kyra?" He asked quietly, not jumping as Litman let out a snort next to them, but soon quieted again. Kyra looked hard into his eyes, believing that the blind one was just as powerful as the other.

_I'm Kyra…was Jack. But the entire time I've been Jack, haven't I? I was Jack to Riddick and I was Jack when Riddick trained me for those few weeks…when I fight…am I Jack or Kyra? Just who the hell am I right now, anyway?_

"I…I'm not sure, Tipner." She was at loss for words.

"Take your time, I'm taking this one to a more proper place to sleep. Will you be taking the captain's quarters?" He asked, seeing how she had turned her chair back and had begun to stare out the window, deep into black space. In the reflection of the glass he saw her nod and to him that was enough.

Grabbing the neck of Litman's shirt, he yanked him out of the chair and dragged him down the hall with surprising strength. She heard a door open farther down the left hallway, a body being thrown on a bed and the door closing again. Tipner's footsteps went farther done and another door opened and closed.

_Ah…the ship. Designed very well, _Kyra thought. _The cockpit in the front, two hallways leading behind it, cargo hold easily accessible by both sides. The one to the left, technically my right when I'm facing the window, is where the 'crew' sleeps. Two rooms with large beds, two with two single beds, easily fitting a six-man crew, even more considering the space there is in each room. The kitchen is the last door, ending the hallway instead of a wall. In the kitchen there is a hidden tile that can be pulled up and leads directly into the cargo hold. The kitchen has another door leading to the end of the right hallway. Right hallway holds the captain's quarters, extremely spacious quarters at that. Another room valuable cargo that also serves as a planning room for the captain and the first and second mate, who would live in the two spacious rooms in the left hallway. The other room is the med bay, which can also be accessed from the left hallway. Surprisingly well equipped considering the main room back in Crematoria. Both hallways led up the cockpit, which was spacious in itself. The captain's chair in the middle, a co-pilots chair to the right of the captain and to the left is the gunner's chair, who has second control of all the defense systems on the ship. _

_Well you've certainly done a good job of avoiding the subject at hand. _

Kyra snorted.

_More then one subject. Identity crisis, Riddick…both of those could take quite a while. I mean, really, who am I? Kyra was in Crematoria, when there was no Riddick to watch her, no Riddick to run to. Well do I need someone to run to now? Do I need to be the weak Jack that would fight until she felt too threatened? Jack never felt too threatened, but by that time Riddick would show up and save the day… That settles it. I'm Jack. _

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the strong footsteps of Krent. Turning her chair, she saw the tall man slowly walk in and look around for a place to sit. She gestured to the gunner's chair, where she had mentally decided he would sit from now on. He almost collapsed into the chair and as he faced her, she saw how tired he looked.

"You can rest, I've got this covered. And Meth." She quickly added, tapping in the code for the live video feed of the med bay, where the resting form of Meth was seen in the hologram. "I'm going to need a rested crew. Get some sleep."

"Not that easy…" he mumbled, looking away.

She bit her lip as she saw the flashes of interaction between him and the younger man, maybe even boy, in her mind. His feelings were torn for Meth, that much she knew.

"Krent, you know that your sexual preferences don't bother me." She put out, hoping that she wasn't going to receive a horrible reaction.

"I…it's not like that…I mean-"

"You don't know. That's fine, like I said, get some rest. I don't want you to be worrying about this."

"You accept it…but Tipner, Litman…Meth?" He said the last name with a sort of shamed fear, which hurt her more than any wound she had ever received.

"Tipner is very level-headed, if you need someone else to talk to about this…another male, that is, it's him. Litman…he's a bit rash at times-"

Krent snorted at this.

"But he would figure it out eventually. I can't say anything about Meth. I'm sorry, but I just don't know the kid. I just picked him up two weeks ago from being eaten and talked to him maybe five times. Ask Tipner when you've rested. And please, do go to sleep, don't stay up thinking about this." She replied, wondering if every captain had to go through this with their crew.

It hurt her more when he didn't reply but just stood up and began to walk away. Standing as well, she quickly reached him and grabbed one of his arms. As he turned to face her, she realized how tall he was. He overshadowed her completely, but he was a kind giant if anything. Swallowing, she fought down her fears of human touch, something that had scarred her and haunted her since childhood. Letting go of his arm she slowly moved closer before she slipped her arms around his waist and pulled him into a hug. As she felt long muscled arms wrap around her as well, she buried her face into his lower chest and squeezed him tighter.

_A hug…when was the last time you were truly held like this? _

This thought stood out in her mind as she felt him lean down and rest his head against the top of hers. She looked up as he turned his head and kissed her forehead, in a very brother-like and caring manner.

As quietly as they came together, they moved apart and Krent continued his way down the hallway. Hearing his door close she suddenly wanted to cry. So many things had hurt her in the past, but none more than simple human touch. Every time she had craved for it she had been abused and beaten in the process, so she forced herself to break the addiction and stow away the need. Slowly moving back to her seat, she slid into it and propping her right elbow on the arm of the chair, held her head in it while she let her left hand dangle over the front of the other arm. Slowly the feeling overcame her, but it wasn't cruel and rapid, like the monsters on T2. It was a gentle tightening of her throat and silent shedding of tears, slowly appearing in from her eyes, speeding down her cheeks and slowing again, before they dripped off onto her clothes.

She looked up when she felt the scaly head of Neunzhen nudge the palm of her hand. Her fingers traced the smooth ears of the hellhound as the tears dried and she was able to breath again. She had cried once in Crematoria and never again. For years she had gone without the salty tears and now she felt free again, in mind and spirit. She mused that Neunzhen did as well, no longer abused by the guards.

She had no idea how many hours she passed, sitting, thinking and above all, simply wishing. She was a very strong spirited woman, but would someone stronger come after her? Questions like these rained on her small party in her head. She had been thinking about different fun things to do now that they were free. Her first thought was to lay low for at least two or three months. Find a secluded planet, somewhere with a beach, like Helion Prime. That was her next train of thought. When they had been written off as dead or gone forever, she would rise again and visit Imam, ask him of Riddick's whereabouts and go from there.

A sudden movement in the med bay hologram attracted her attention and she saw that Meth was waking up. Tapping in the com code for Krent's room, she waited until she heard his tired voice reply.

"Meth's waking up, you want to rest and I can see him?"

"No," his voice was alert once more and she could hear him move around. "Thanks."

She cut the connection and vaguely listened to his movements on the ship. She hadn't heard a noise from Tipner or Litman's room and assumed both were sleeping. While it wouldn't be a bad idea to get some rest someone should be at the controls at all times. Cracking her jaw, she locked the controls and stood up, deciding to visit the kitchen then Tipner. Neunzhen was fast asleep beside her chair and she left him there.

Walking down her hallway, she suddenly realized she should also take a shower. That was completely novel to her, a private shower. That would come after Tipner. Placing her hand on the door's key pad, it scanned her hand and whooshed open. She had only keyed in the handprints of the 'crew' to their specific rooms and the med bay. She didn't get around to the kitchen yet and was almost glad for it.

It wasn't a fully stocked kitchen, but everything was completely sealed so it was fresh. She almost laughed at the old style fridge that was hiding in the corner, humming away on what was now a very low power level. Opening it she found a few drinks and quite a few cases of beer. Taking one of the drinks, she found it to be soda, something that was also rare. Raiding the cabinets and containers, she found a loaf of bread, which she ripped off half of it and began to eat. Walking through the kitchen she came to the door that ended the crew's hallway and it opened at her presence.

Tipner's door was the closest to the kitchen door so she barely had to walk a few feet. As she knocked on the door, she heard a shuffling movement inside before the door opened. An entirely different Tipner greeted her.

His white hair had been washed and was now brushed, pulled back and braided. It was long she knew, but she didn't realize a braid would reach the bottom of his shoulder blades. He had clipped his beard and moustache, giving him a slightly cleaner look. He had obviously raided the closet and was wearing something akin to a military uniform.

"Looking good, Tipner." She commented, walking into his room. His personal effects were already set up and he looked to be quite at home.

"Found the kitchen, I see." He replied, taking the offered piece of bread. Chewing on it he looked around his room and swallowed. "I suppose you came here for a reason?"

"Reasons, actually." She corrected, turning back to him and making direct eye contact. "Jack, Riddick, Krent and Meth…"

"Oh yes." He realized, sounding a bit wary. "Please, sit." He gestured to a metal chair that sat behind a sparse desk. Swinging it around, she threw one leg over it and faced Tipner, who had sat on his bed in a cross-legged position.

"I'm going to tell everyone else later, but I decided I'm Jack now, no longer Kyra." She started, earning an approving nod. "Riddick is going to wait. We should hide away for a bit and I'm going through various system charts and they're all far away. Maybe two or three months there and then we can go. I would like us to stay together as a crew for those months but then we can separate. I'm going to go back to Helion Prime and work from there."

"I'm surprised."

"What do you mean?"

"I thought you were going to go right after Riddick now, not do the sensible thing and wait." He replied, smirking at the same time. She chuckled in response.

"Well, got to keep the others safe too. Not from mercs mind you, just my recklessness. So. I told Krent he could talk to you. You alright with that?"

"Fine, I'm just worried for Litman."

"Same. It's not like I can side with either of them, as well. But I think I'll manage. Oh, can you take over the cockpit for a while? I need to wash up and maybe get some rest." She asked, standing and putting the chair back in its original spot.

"Of course, mon capitan." He said, rolling off the bed and saluting her. He followed her out the door and made his way to the cockpit, with Jack in tow. An anxious Neunzhen awaited her and almost threw her to the floor with his greeting. Tipner sat in the captain's chair while Jack wrestled Neunzhen off of her while playing with him at the same time.

Tipner thought that apart from Jack and maybe Riddick, no one else he knew would ever play fight with a hellhound. He watched them untangle themselves and go down the captain's hallway and he looked back to the charts Jack had left pulled up. She hadn't been kidding when she said far away.

**Thanks to these reviewers:**

**Iridescent Twilight:** Hope I kept up the good work. There will be eventual pairings…I think. It really depends how long I want the story to go on for, like if I'll stop it before they find Riddick (or will Riddick find them?) or keep going. I like this story a lot but I've had…erm…pressure to make a sequel to Keeping Faith.

**NightmareWeaver: **Grr, not fair. I really want that but it doesn't matter because I only have my ancient gaming systems here! I seethe with jealousy! Erm, any kind of caffeinated beverages? Do you drink SoBe?

**VainFirechild-EverSoVain:** Glad you like it. Thanks for reviewing.

**DON'T MISS THIS LINK!**

http/i11. it links. If it doesn't just copy and paste! It's worth it! …I hope.


	7. Chapter 7

**Beastly Bonds**

**Chapter VII**

"Jack!" Litman called out, now accustomed to using that name. They had yet to change their names, but it was a last-minute issue for her, so she let it ride. Turning in her seat, where she had been putting on the final touches for their 'hideout', she looked up to see her strangely jubilant crew. They had all been in high spirits after they had escaped, but right now they seemed particularly happy.

"Look!" He exclaimed, gesturing towards the crew hallway. Tipner trotted out moments later, also looking happy.

"Tipner came out…very exciting, Litman. This is what-"

"NO! Wait! Get that ass in gear, Krent!" Litman yelled down the hallway.

Moments later Krent slowly appeared with his back to Jack, but he glanced over his shoulder and gave her a heartwarming smile. He was holding out his arms, as if waiting for something to fall. Soon after him Jack heard stumbling and unsteady footsteps, like that of a toddler. Yet from the hallway emerged a walking Meth, smiling brightly at Jack.

"I can walk!" He stated to no one and everyone at the same time. Jack got up and walked closer, watching his body movements. It was going to be a long recovery. The med bay's computer had surprised them all when it produced the results on Meth's injury. He had been seriously hurt by the hellhound's bite. Muscles torn and tendons violently ripped from the bone. Walking was a big improvement, but Jack knew it would be a long time before he would be how she wanted him. Invisible. She wasn't going to let him do the stupid shit she had done.

"This calls for a party!" Litman shouted, moving back towards the kitchen.

"NO! LITMAN YOU PULL THAT HEAD OUT OF YOUR ALCOHOLIC ASS AND GET BACK HERE!" Jack shouted, much to the amusement of the crew. She had been tough on alcohol on the ship in general, seeing how she wasn't fond of it. Weakened instincts, reflexes and thought. Not her type of drink.

Grumbling he returned, glaring at her.

"Everyone into the planning room." She stated, making Meth look up in surprise. "Yes, even you Meth. You are part of everyone."

The crew filed into the room and Jack followed, leaving the door slightly ajar. She wanted to hear anything from the main control panels. Seating themselves around the meeting table, Jack stood and waited for them to settle. Neunzhen was her shadow and she felt him right at her side.

_You've got your crew, Captain Jack. What are you going to do with it?_

"I've made the decision as to where our 'hideout' will be. It's a very long trip from here, but the closest shipping lanes the mercs follow to it are…at least a month away by hyper speed. They won't be tracking us any time soon."

"You sure?" Litman asked, looking up at her hard face.

"Was I sure about the escape?" She replied, effectively shutting him up. "It's in the Earthia system, better known as Old Earth."

A hologram shuddered and blinked into view in the middle of the table, drawing everyone's attention there. It was an orbital system, similar to the ancient Earth one. That system was lost off the charts long ago, but this one was found, so it became Old Earth to those who had never been. One blazing sun in the middle with various planets orbiting around it. Seven planets in total, each one was coloured to its climate.

"We're going here." She tapped the keys. "Caribi."

The third closest planet was enlarged to show it to be a mostly water planet. About 90 of the planet was water, with large islands dotting the seas, smaller ones forming archipelagoes off of those.

"That's a warm climate, with clear waters and very good weather." Meth suddenly said, staring at the picture and changing his gaze to Jack, who gave him an approving nod.

"Very good, Meth. You get second choice in rooming when we get there. I am no expert, but I believe that Caribi is very welcoming to anyone, no matter how strange or shady they are. We are in luck, there is no police forces either. But this means we **must** work in and support the justice dealt between islands and locals. No picking fights. At all. No insulting anyone or anything, not at any time. We want to be welcomed and liked, not avoided and causing suspicion. I don't even want to ask if I'm clear about that. As threat, I will talk to the elders of the island we will be occupying and give them strict instruction that if any one of you does something slightly out of hand to be directly delivered to me."

"How is that a threat? Send us back to the captain who will let us off." Litman asked and commented, earning a glare from Jack.

"Your punishment will just stop before death, Litman. Neunzhen knows this and I know this. And now, all of you know this. Don't be fooled, I want peace just as much as the elders of the island do." She warned, taking note of the pale faces of the crew, even Tipner.

"Er…Jack?" Krent asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"Yes?" She swiveled her blank gaze to him.

"How long do you think we'll be there? I know you've said two or three months, but really."

"Good question. I'm going to keep a running data list on every single active mercs files, along with bounty listings. This will be on my laptop, which I've revamped completely. It will be on 24/7 and kept in a very secure place. Every time one of us pops up I will be alerted. When I've decided that enough time has passed that we are not mentioned, then I will consider leaving. Now here is your option."

Tipner looked surprised at this.

"You may stay on with me, where you will be undoubtedly safer in hideout for a few months. Or, if you so desire, I will drop you off at a port of your choice, as long as it's in my flight path to Caribi. I sorely hope that those who do leave me will not give away this information of my whereabouts. Regardless of who did it, I will hunt you down and kill you."

"So much of an option…" Litman muttered, sourly grumbling.

"Is everyone in?" Jack asked, knowing for sure Meth would stay. Anyone his age who had been saved by the same person who was offering free protection and a place to stay wouldn't ask to be dropped off on some other planet.

Meth nodded first, followed by Krent and Tipner and soon enough Litman made a dramatic sigh and agreed to stay for the long run.

"There are no cryo-sleep pods here so we're going to have to bear it out. From here we've got at least seven weeks in this shipping lane before we chart our own path, which will take about four. As such I've taken the liberty to decide that I will keep you all in top shape in case something were to happen."

Groans were heard in the room. Even Tipner knew how regimented Jack's training was. In Crematoria the only thing she did was train when she wasn't resting, looking for food or beating up the guards. They were all in good shape as of now, but Jack knew that sitting around in a ship for all those weeks could really get to you.

"Meth gets out of it for now, but I will be making him strengthen his leg. I will train with each of you. One of you each morning and if you're late, we train longer. It's up to you as to who gets to go first and we're starting tomorrow." She finished, smirking.

"Jaaaaaack, this isn't fair." Litman whined, sounding like a small child. As if ignoring what he said, Jack ended the meeting with a comment that was also indirectly meant for him.

"And the training will continue, regardless of hangovers."

The eleven weeks passed smoothly, much to Jack's relief. Litman had realized after quite a few training sessions that drinking the night before was just a horrible idea. She had basically beaten all of them into tip top condition, even Tipner. She wasn't surprised with how lithe and quick his old body was, but still had a brutal comeback. With Krent it was harder because he felt like he had to hold back.

_"Krent, stop this. Imagine we're back in Crematoria, you're starved and abused, like the hellhounds. I've taken the first food you've had in days. You're going to try to kill me! Do it!" She yelled, pissed that he was holding back. It reminded her of Riddick, who never let his full beast out. But he had good reason and he was perpetually in amazing shape, so he almost had to hold back. _

_"But Jack, what if I-" he tried to reason, his figure looming over hers. _

_"Hurt me? Then so be it. We've got a med bay, now fucking attack me before I have to personally insult you to do it." She snarled, sheathing her shivs. Working with Krent would be like training a punching bag with a brain at this rate. _

_With a roar, he came at her and she easily sidestepped him and tripped him, like the countless times Riddick had done to her. She taught him everything she knew and they learned more together. He was a very good student and was willing to take the bruises and cuts that came with it. _

Jack sat in the her chair late one night and stared out into space, listening to the sleeping breathes of her crew. They had passed a few ships in their time in the shipping lanes but now that they were charting their own course, ships were rare to cross.

Yet earlier that day an unidentifiable ship had briefly had radio contact with her ship. She had been hideously angry for the rest of the day because the captain or passengers of the other ship wouldn't respond. The worst part was that the breathing she heard on the other end was all too familiar.

How could Riddick track her that fast? And that easily, for that matter. Imam had told her that he had hid on a distant planet, to keep mercs away them. Why would he be flying now? They had checked the news constantly and not once had there been a report of a massive overthrow of Crematoria. But it was only a matter of time, that much she knew. Jack had decided to track the ship a little distance, by latching onto its signal and following it. The ship headed in the exact opposite direction that they were going in and seemed to stay that way. She had put the computers on alert when that ship came near again and so far it hadn't made an appearance.

"What the fuck are you doing, Riddick?" She asked into the room, receiving a sleepy growl from Neunzhen, who lounged on the floor right near her. He had been a very good companion for her, especially while she trained. He served as a fighter that she could actually have trouble with. Jack wondered if Riddick had ever trained with something besides humans and decided that she was a step ahead of the game if she knew how to fight off both.

Jack closed her eyes briefly, her hand resting on Neunzhen's head, who had sat up. Flashes of silver eyes tormented her behind her eyelids and suddenly the hellhound's ears twitched backwards. She was up in a second, shivs drawn and facing the dark hallways. Not taking any chances, she immediately alarmed every sector of the ship. Red alarms blared, colouring every surface red every other second while the shrieks violently echoed.

Bootsteps thundered down the crew hall, guns drawn and weapons at ready. When they had all entered the cabin she shut off the alarm and faced them, her eyes icy cold. Neunzhen's scales had turned a bright reddish orange and his many canines glinted in the now normal lighting.

"Jack! What's the meaning of this?" Tipner asked, first to break the silence.

"Someone's on the ship."

"The sensors or cameras don't show anything!" Litman shot back, checking the holographic images of the ship's security.

"Doesn't mean anything." Meth quietly spoke from behind Krent, who had immediately shielded the younger man.

"I don't care if we don't sleep until we get to Caribi. I want every corner of this ship searched. Krent, Meth, take the captain's hallway. Tipner, Litman, take crew hallway. Even search your own rooms for any trace of an outsider. Meet in the kitchen." She ordered, checking her ammunition.

"Where are you going?" Litman asked, checking his as well.

"Cargo hold."

"Alone? That's dumb, Jack. If anyone's here, they are probably there."

"I'm with Neunzhen. NOW LET'S MOVE!" She yelled, startling them into action. She followed Krent and Litman down her hallway and entered the kitchen, pulling up the hidden tile. Placing it aside, she struck a flare across the bottom of her boot, lighting it. The eerie green light fell down into the cargo hold. Jumping in, she heard Neunzhen following her, growling the entire way. Picking up the flair, she held it above her head and looked around, for something, anything out of order.

The minute his ears had twitched she knew someone unwelcome was on her ship. Moving forward, she was comforted by the hellhound's body that moved in sync with her own.

"Come on, where are you?" She the darkness.

Yet while she searched the hold and her crew tore apart their rooms, a small alert showed up on the main control screen. A code appeared beside it, looking like a tracking code. It bleeped for a few seconds before it disappeared. On another nearby screen, the center was the ship and it would track objects within a certain radius of it. A triangular shaped flying object blipped its way across the screen, the same code showing up right above the figure. Yet as soon as it crossed the radius, the controls quieted and the code disappeared.

**Thanks to these reviewers:**

**Iridescent Twilight – We'll see what happens, but this will be finished. And yes, it was intentional that I didn't specify whether this would be a J/R or nothing at all. It all depends on how long I want to make this. It's got quite a bit to go, though. Go to my bio! The picture is there!**

**ren3017 – A fanfic for my fanfic…wouldn't mind that at all, actually. Although I've been having a few lingering ideas about a sequel to KF, so we'll see where fate takes this.**

**NightmareWeaver – I hate you and your game! No fair! Grrfh, evil person you. And people who like mythology aren't freaks. I used to have a snake named Medusa and almost all of my stuffed animals are named after figures in Greek mythology. So take that. Look at my bio! You might really like the picture!**

**creamtoriacon **– **Thanks for the review but um there is a small blank space after the 'to' part. You send please send future chaps to . Blank. Specify please and I'll see what can be done. Thanks for reviewing. **

**THE DRAWING IS ON MY BIO. IF YOU MISSED IT LAST TIME GO THERE. LINK IS THERE. YOU COULD BE REALLY NICE AND ADD A HAPPY COMMENT ABOUT IT ON THE NEXT CHAPTER. Or you could email me or something. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Beastly Bonds**

**Chapter VIII**

**Thanks to these reviewers: **

**Iridescent Twilight – **Your reviews are always long and this one was still just as good! Yes, I'm quite talented at evading questions, but like I said before, it really all depends on how long I drag this out. Hope you like it enough for me to do that.

**NightmareWeaver – **Well, I hope this chapter clears it up because in your last review you said something that well…never mind, you'll get it now I think. sadI wish I was named after a Greek deities…

**Onto the story! Longer chapter than the last. **

Hours later found Jack raging in her room, empty handed. She knew none of them slept, considering the amount of noise she was making. Just minutes before Meth had asked her a simple, inoffensive question and she had thrown a knife at his head. Luckily with all his training he ducked out of the way, only receiving a semi-deep scratch right above his ear. It only took seconds for them to leave, all heading towards the med bay.

"Tip, you gotta check on Jack." Litman said, ripping open the outer packaging of a antibacterial wipe. Tipner, not against this nickname, was threading a needle as Litman said this.

"The captain will survive. Let's stitch up Meth here and let her stew for a bit. Krent, he isn't losing too much blood is he?" He asked the tallest of the group. He leaned over Meth, who was knocked out on the surgical table, pressing some gauze to the side of his head.

"No, he isn't. I think it's almost stopped now." He replied, stepping back and bending down to dab it with a clean part of the cloth.

"Good, Litman, if you please." He gestured to the wound and Litman stepped forward and began to clean it carefully, making Meth moan quietly. "That's a good sign."

"But," Krent continued, now standing back. "Litman has a point. Something about this is really pissing her off. We didn't find a trace of anything either, she's going to beat us into a pulp."

"Now now, she may be mad but certainly not at you." Tipner gently corrected, taking Litman's place. He started the stitches with ease, his hands never shaking. "What do you think is really underneath that anger?"

Krent was confused for a moment and glanced over Tipner's bent back and caught Litman's just as confused stare. He shrugged and this left both of them at a loss.

"Let's see…imagine you were back in Crematoria. You're faced by two guards, who are there just to abuse you. You rage and roar at them, trying to itimidate them. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't."

"I don't see what this has to do with Jack, Tip." Litman interrupted, receiving a harsh command from Krent to shut up.

"Thank you, Krent. You see," he continued, finishing the stitches on Meth's head, "why would you suddenly want to inspire fear in the guards? What are you hiding?"

"Fear itself." Jack's cold voice came from the door, making all of them whip their head around and stare at her. "You're afraid of dying, like everyone else. You hide or change that fear into anger and hope to transfer that fear into them. An old method of defense."

She pushed herself off the open doorway, letting it hiss closed behind her. Walking forward, Litman moved out of the way as she approached the table. Tipner stepped back as well, completely done with his job. Jack rested one hand Meth's head and gently ran her hand down his head, looking like a relieved mother from far away.

"Jack, you must understand, I wasn't trying to undermine your-" Tipner started, still feeling that aura of rage around her.

"I know, Tip, I know. It was good of you to do that. He is right you know." She said, looking at Litman and Krent, who looked on warily.

"You're afraid?" Litman asked outright, sounding amazed. Krent smacked him on his arm with the back of his hand, glaring at him. This made Jack smile slightly.

"No need, Krent. Yes, to some extent I'm afraid. We have come so far. Two weeks until Caribi and suddenly some ship makes a move on us? I don't know who it was, I know they left something on this ship and I can't find it."

"I think you know who it was." Tipner commented, looking directly into her green eyes. They flashed with a mixture between hope and hate.

"You do?" Krent asked.

"It's just a guess."

"A good one at that. How much time did you spend directly next to him?" Tipner asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Who is this 'him'?" Litman demanded.

"You know very well how much time I spent with him. Still doesn't mean anything." Jack continued, ignoring the other man.

"Enough time to know his breathing patterns." Tipner shot back.

"STOP! WHO IS HIM!" Litman shouted, making Jack glare at him. Swallowing, he stepped back and moved behind Krent.

Jack looked down at Meth, who was deeply sleeping. She had been his age when she first arrived in Crematoria, maybe a little younger. Inexperienced, afraid but with the knowledge that she was never alone. To her Riddick has always been nearby, most likely because he had trained her to think, act and be like him. Sighing, Jack closed her eyes.

"To make a long story short, I was…trained by Riddick."

Silence took hold in the room, but emotions still ran amuck. Litman's eyes bulged out, completely surprised and taken back by this information. Krent looked fearful, as if he had another reason to regard her as a very good ally, but never someone to rub the wrong way.

"Riddick. As in the guy who escaped Butcher's Bay? The guy that is the universal mass mur-" Litman was cut off as Jack stormed towards him.

"Don't you ever fucking refer to him as that! You stupid," she backhanded him to the floor, "fucking," kicked him, but not enough to damage, "BASTARD!"

"Jack!" Tipner grabbed her wrist, but she flung him off. Stepping over Litman's form, she roughly grabbed a fistful of his shirt and yanked him up, slamming him against the wall behind him.

"You fucking shit. He is more than you'll ever be and don't you ever fucking forget that." She hissed at him, dropping him to the floor.

Stepping back, she let out a long snarl before exiting the med bay. As the door closed behind her, Krent knelt and helped Litman up.

"Holy mother of pearl, I just said-"

"Too much. She is very sensitive about that topic. He saved her life more then once and apparently they became quite close. So you see now how it's no wonder that she survived in Crematoria and escaped it." Tipner supplied, helping Litman to a nearby chair that he gratefully sank into.

"So that ship, it was being piloted by Riddick?" Krent asked, leaning against the metal table where Meth still slept soundly, even after the small fight.

"It seems so. I believe he left a tracking device on this ship."

"That's just fucking peachy." Litman muttered, looking sourly around the room. "We've got one of the most-wanted convicts in the known universe on our ass."

"No, I don't think so." Krent replied, looking thoughtful. "If he and Jack are as close as we think, then is it too much to assume that he is just keeping watch on her? In all that time in Crematoria, she could've done nothing to offend him, so it's not like he is after us."

"Interesting theory. But what if it isn't Jack that he is looking for?" Tipner asked, making the two other men pale.

"I ain't done shit to him, hell, I've never even met the guy." Litman quickly denied this.

"Even if that was true my idea still works." Krent argued.

"How so?"

"Well, if he is 'after' us, it could just be to make sure that Jack is safe. He knows as well as anyone else here does that in this situation, many greedy men would just try to kill or overthrow Jack and take off. He could be watching us to make sure Jack is safe."

"I believe you're entirely correct. But now, what if it isn't even Riddick to start with?" Tipner asked the room, glancing at Meth as he moved in his sleep.

"Then we're fucking screwed." Litman growled out.

---#---

Jack paced the length of the cockpit, not taking notice of Neunzhen's blue silvery eyes following her. She hadn't meant to go after Litman like that, but how dare he insult and stereotype Riddick like that?

_Then again, no one can really 'stereotype' Riddick._

"True." Jack mumbled, replying to her thoughts. Throwing herself into her chair, she moodily grumbled, watching the screens. Two weeks. She should get started on changing the ID's of the crew. Settling herself in for a while, she idly began to create the fake IDs.

Tipner and Litman left Krent to watch over Meth, who was still peacefully sleeping, completely unaware of the happenings around him. Peace had taken hold on the ship, even Jack had calmed down considerably.

Blue eyes came into focus, blinking slowly, the sleep breaking and cracking, hurting momentarily. A dark figure loomed above him and he recognized it as Krent. Meth struggled to sit, helped by a pair of large warm hands on his back, holding him up. Moaning, he raised his hand to skim the side of his head, where it felt like a burning poker had been viciously speared into.

"Unngh…Krent?" Meth mumbled, throwing his legs over the side of the table. He then realized he was shirtless but it didn't bother him. As he moved to get off the table, one hand disappeared and then reappeared on his stomach, pushing him back. Even at full strength he wouldn't have been able to resist it.

"I'm here. Stay. Do you want painkillers?" His warm voice was gentle yet commanding.

"No, no, I'll do what Jack told me. Work through the pain." He replied, looking up into a pair of eyes that held suspicion and denial. "Seriously, I'll be fine."

"Emphasis on will be fine." And suddenly he smirked. Krent's eyes, a darker shade of blue, glittered with mirth and mockery.

"What? Spit it out! What the hell is so funny about this?" Meth began to yell and Krent stopped chuckling and ran a hand over Meth's hair, which was shoulder length. Well, almost all of his hair. Meth felt one of the older man's fingers come into direct contact with his scalp and he jumped.

"Fuck, you shaved my head." He mumbled, feeling incredibly stupid.

"Want to shave the rest of it?" Krent asked, moving towards the air-sealed cabinets.

"Yeah, guess so." He replied, watching his back move. Meth wondered if he would ever be so well built as this man was, every muscle worked to perfection, easily moving in sync with the others connected to it. His eyes lingered on his lower back, where the fitted shirt folded and twisted with the muscles in action.

"Alright," Krent said, turning around.

He did his best to ignore the spreading blush across the younger man's face.

"I'll do it for you." He added quickly, moving forward and placing the electric razor on one side of Meth while watching him bow his head in a sort of embarrassment. He smiled briefly and ruffled the long hair in front of him. Meth glanced up and with a nod, turned around and waited for the other man to start. With the electric growl and whirr, the small razor started up. Krent worked quickly and thoroughly, not missing a spot with anything. Soon there was a fine fuzz over the boy's scalp and Meth opened his eyes, finding Krent picking up the hair and dropping it into the sanitary incinerator.

"Thanks." Meth said quietly, moving off the table. "Uh, Krent?" He asked, glancing towards the doorway. The man straightened his back and made his attention known with a patient stare.

"Look, I was just…er…wondering that when you…I mean if you want…well, you see-" He was cut off by the intercom.

"This isn't an emergency, kids. Get your asses up to the cockpit. We've got ID's to finish up." Jack's voice ordered from the ceiling.

Before Krent could open his mouth Meth was out the door and down the hallway. Shrugging, he made his slow way out of the med bay, fixing a chair's place before leaving.

When he arrived in the cockpit, Litman and Tipner were already there, arguing something over Jack's head. Neunzhen sat at her feet, eyes alert and watching. Meth was leaning against the wall near Litman, whose voice began to rise.

"That's enough." Jack's voice evenly cut through their banter and they quieted. In the beginning of the trip it would've taken threats of castration to make them shut up, but they were better now. "Now, I didn't want to make names for you, since I would probably pick awful names. So, take a minute each of you to come up with your own names. Now, before you start, I'm making this so that Krent and Meth are brothers, Tipner is Litman's father that he is taking on a nice vacation and I'm just a free single woman. Complaints?"

All four voices started and she continued to talk.

"Good." They were quiet now. "So, in pairs feel free to decide the last names."

"What about you?" Litman asked, glaring at Tipner who leveled a mean glare back. "Captain Jack with her trusty first mate, Neunzhen?"

"I am Captain Jack regardless, but I'm pulling the full name out to Jacqueline and working on the last name. Neunzhen will stay Neunzhen and he is my companion." She replied, turning her chair back around to face the screens.

In exactly a minute she demanded the names from everyone, amused by some of their choices. Entering on the screen it followed as such:

**Leonardo Conti **– younger brother of:

**Antonio Conti **

**Neil Buckner **– son of:

**Theodore Buckner**

**Jacqueline Laurent **– Captain, without familial relatives,

with companion of Neunzhen, a hellhound adopted in the Helion System

"So I want us to use these names all the time. If there is an emergency and you slip, that's fine. It most likely means we can't stay there anyway, so new ID's would have to be made again. Leo?"

Meth stepped forward. "Here."

"Tony?"

Krent stepped forward.

"Neil?" She asked with a snicker.

Litman stepped forward with an insulted look.

"Theodore? Would you like to referred to as Theo? Father Theo? Grandpa Theo? Mr. Buckner? Buckner Senior?" She joked, grinning as Tipner stepped forward.

"Mr. Bucker to you, Captain…what is it? Laurent?" He mocked back, earning a glare from Jack.

"In the beginning we all go by our full names and you must refer to me as Captain Laurent. As time goes by I will be more 'comfortable' with you all and you may call me Jacqueline. Never Jack. Feel free to nickname between your 'relatives', but be careful." She ordered, receiving nods from everyone.

"Captain Laurent?" Meth asked.

"Yes, Leonardo?"

"Neunzhen, if news gets out that we broke out of Crematoria, most people will be suspicious of a hellhound." He said, pointing at Neunzhen, who was receiving an ear scratch from Jack.

"I adopted Neunzhen and news doesn't get to Caribi fast. Nor do many people consider it important enough to receive such news. Like I said, Caribi has it's own justice system." She replied. "Alright. Two weeks, spend them as you wish. No training, though. I don't want you all to look like a perfected army when we arrive. Dismissed."

They all shuffled out, leaving Jack with Neunzhen. Sighing she faced the window and brought both hands up and propping her elbows on the control panels and holding her head there. It would only take them a few guesses.

_My real name, Jacqueline Laurent. Becoming a captain in her position wouldn't of been that hard. Her family had never abused her, she had had a good childhood, with father and mother. Why did she run? It had never been her choice, she didn't want to run away but after those first few flights before flying on that doomed ship it had changed her. _

_Late one night she had heard voices shouting and she quietly slipped out of her bed. She passed her desk, filled normally with a teenager's personal effects. A laptop, schooldiscs, a few vid discs, speakers, a wallet and a few random articles of clothing that hadn't reached the hamper yet. Posters of old world favourite bands watched her from her walls, dressed in a green tank top and navy sweat pants, her school name running down the leg. Opening her door she didn't close it, not wanting to make noise. Her feet made small pad marks in the fuzzy rug as she made her way to her parent's room. Their door was opened, but the shouting was from downstairs, not there. Her father and mother loved each other deeply and would almost never argue. _

_Pushing the door open with her hand she peeked in to see her mother sleeping. Her father wasn't there and she climbed onto the high bed and crawled over to her mother's side, shaking her gently. _

_"Mom, mom, wake up!" She whispered, shaking her shoulder a little harder. Finally she rolled over and sat up, long brown hair falling down over her shoulders, hazel eyes hazy from sleep. _

_"Jackie? What's wrong?" She asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. Before she could reply a smashing of glass was heard downstairs. _

_"Mom, mom! Don't go down!" She said, watching her mother get out of bed and pull on a pair of discarded pants. They were loose and from when she was pregnant with Jack. _

_Sure enough another Laurent was on the way, a brother, only a few months along. Jack followed her mother, not wanting to leave her alone. They tiptoed down the stairs where from between the banisters they saw her father arguing with another man._

_"Get out of my house! You just walk into my home, accusing me of killing your brother and expect me to fix it? Get out!" He yelled, his form overshadowing the other man. _

_Her father was no small geek. He had been in the military and had retired two years ago, when Jack turned ten. Now that a boy was on the way he threw himself into doing everything possible to keep them going strong. Yet his body was still in military form, the ability to fight just itching beneath his hands. _

_"In that war! You killed him! I know you did!" The other man shouted and Jack noticed he was crying. She felt that in a few minutes she might know what it felt like as well, losing a brother. _

_Her mother gasped softly when the hysterical man pulled a handgun, shakily pointing it in the direction of her husband. Both men heard it and looked for the source of it. Jack tugged on her mother's hand, wanting to go back upstairs, go back into bed and wake up to another normal day. _

_"Marie! Take Jackie and go! Now!" He commanded, but in a protective tone. "Hurry!" _

_"No bother! I'll get them too! You'll feel the pain when you're dead, watching your precious family die! You'll feel my pain!" The man yelled, pointing a gun at the stairs. _

_"Your problem is with me! Not with them!" Her father stepped forward and made a move to grab his wrist. The gun was directly pointed his forehead and suddenly Jack found herself being dragged up the stairs._

_"Dad! Dad!" She shouted, grabbing onto the banister, struggling to see him. Her mother dragged her back as she saw the last glimpses of her father luring the man outside, closing the front door behind him with the automatic 'click' of the lock. _

_"Jackie! Pack your things! Bare necessities, we'll get more later! Hurry!" Her mother said, pushing her into her room. She was in shock – her father had basically sacrificed himself for them and she and her mother were going to run away. Just hours before they had eaten dinner together. They had music playing in the stereo and she and her father danced in the kitchen, much to her mother's amusement. She had laughed and giggled as she fell into her father's arms over and over again, tripping over her own feet._

_"Hurry Jack!" Her mother's voice cut her memories, making her immediately pull a few things together and throwing them into a worn out knapsack. She pulled on the clothes she would be wearing a few weeks later on that ship piloted by Carolyn Fry. She met her mother at the top of the back stairs and they ran down together, holding hands the entire time. As they ran out the back door a gunshot echoed over the roof of their house. _

Jack sat back in the leather seat, skipping over the memories of her mother being kidnapped in one of the ports, leaving her to her own devices. She hadn't even known if her father was dead until she looked it up a few days later on a public computer.

After all that she ended up here, a survivor of a hell planet who was trained by Richard B. Riddick, who had gotten thrown into one of the worst slams in the universe, broken out of it and now piloting her own ship.

**Next chapter: Welcome to Caribi!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Beastly Bonds**

**Chapter IX**

**Thanks to these reviewers:**

**Iridescent Twilight - **Yay! You like it! Well, the way it's worked out is that yes, her father is dead and it's left unknown whether or not her mother and brother are alive. If I want to work with that later, I just might. And I just realized this is going to be a loooong fic. I'm making Jack…hmm…early twenties here. Since Riddick never came to Crematoria (mixed with my creative license) she could've been there longer.

**ren3017 – **Glad you liked the pic. I like it too! Fancy that. Here is the chapter! It's a good thing you liked it because like I said in IT's response, this is going to be pretty long I think.

**Kashimir – **What a good review. It's nice to know I'm doing the same old and what I write is 'refreshing' as you so kindly put it. You are in luck, this will be a longer story.

**audran – **Everyone likes it that I'm making Jack all independent and I guess that is what I thought came naturally in her personality. Glad it's such a good ongoing theme. And it seems the reviewers are eager to have a meeting between Jack and Riddick. Perhaps perhaps…

It was nearly impossible to describe the excitement she felt in the cabin as Caribi came into view. It was a beautiful blue planet, small sand-coloured land masses looked like designs of gods against the water.

She had changed into a uniform that suited a captain better and much to his annoyance, collared Neunzhen with a thick worn leather collar that she had made out of one of Tipner's old jackets. They all had tried to look the part and so far Meth and Krent, or Leo and Tony were doing the best. Then again, she assumed that most sons argued with their grumpy old dads, so Neil and Mr. Buckner weren't doing all that bad either.

"State your business and cargo." A voice clearly spoke from the control panels with a heavy island accent.

"Final destination, vacation, starting over, no cargo objects. Just four passengers outside of the captain." Jack easily replied, sounding exactly like a captain.

"And who is dis?" The voice had relaxed on the other end.

"Captain Jacqueline Laurent, at your service. Do I have permission to land?" She said, a small smile gracing her lips.

"And de passengers? Who are they?"

"I can send you ID's."

"Do dat."

"Coming through right now." And the connection cut for a moment, but this was normal.

"Captain," Neil asked, still having trouble referring to her as that. "I thought you said security was relaxed."

"It is." She stated and signaled him to shush. The connection crackled open again.

"Wit names like…Bookner I dink you are no threat." The voice said, humor lacing the tone. Jack laughed back.

"No, trust me, the two Buckner men are nothing to be afraid of." She barely got through the sentence without cracking a wide grin.

"You 'ave permission to land, but one last question."

"Yes?"

"Dis…hellhound. From Helion you say?"

"Yes, there was an adoption center there. It was a present to me from my parents. A companion." She easily lied, resting a hand on Neunzhen's head, who rubbed into it.

"Well, I believe you. Your island is the last on the archipelago, sending coordinates. You can make a water land, no?"

"No problem. Thank you." Her voice was still even, but the relief was evident in her face.

"We will contact you tomorrow for more details."

"That's just fine. Over and out." She replied, waiting for the land connection to break. Shutting off hers she let her shoulders relax and she deeply sighed.

"I daresay that deserves applause." Mr. Buckner voiced from the back, clapping quietly.

"Not yet. When we get through these 'details' then we can let loose. And make sure your son stays off the alcohol." She snapped, making Litman glare at her. "Make sure your restraints are intact and firmly holding you in place. Prepare for landing."

As they descended through the hemisphere, the ship shook slightly but Jack knew that was supposed to happen. Remembering 'the crash', as she referred to it in her mind, this seemed quite smooth. Once through that layer, she flipped on the switches for a water landing and felt the bottom of the ship hum with mechanical perfection, obviously showing it was in very good condition. Typing in the coordinates for their island, she flipped it on half autopilot, only pulling up at the end so they wouldn't go nose first into the water.

Propellers whirred to life and they were soon cruising towards their island, where a few men waving neon flags directed them to the water hangar they would keep their ship. It was a large enough hangar just to fit their ship and as they went in, Jack heard the floor come up from beneath and to her surprise, the ship automatically changed back to wheels. Soon the floor of the hangar locked and she was given the ok to open the ship's door.

Pushing in the lock, her restrains pulled back into the seat and she stood, Neunzhen following suit, who had taken the landing rather well. She heard the others unstrapping themselves as she punched in the code for the door. She nervously swallowed as she heard the locks pull back and the door crack and hiss as it opened.

The three men who had waved them in stood outside the ship waiting patiently. Two of them natives and one of them had been born in another system but moved here when he was younger. They talked amongst themselves as they waited.

"So, dis female Captain, it's rare, isn't it?" One of the natives said to both of them.

"The academy is open to both sexes, but you're right, it isn't usual norm. You said the elder knew this person?" The other man replied and asked. The third man and second native replied.

"Well, he did say he had heard of another 'Laurent' and he had known a man in de army who had a child named Jacqueline. Does not mean anyting, though. Let's be welcoming." He finished, seeing the door open.

Two pairs of men came out, according to the ID's sent before they landed. One pair consisted of two younger men, obviously the brothers. The older one was very tall and very well-built, body clearly capable of damage. The younger brother was muscled, but still quite thin. Their blue eyes constantly darted around, filled with a sort of hidden mischief. The second pair was undoubtedly the son and father. The father was using one of the son's arm as support as he made his way slowly down the ramp. The son had an air of defiant superiority as he observed the hangar thoroughly and quickly. The father seemed very wise, his one blind eye lingering on certain objects as he slowly made his way along.

Finally the captain appeared, making the jaws of all three men drop. Her physique was beyond anything they could have imagined, her body just as smooth and dangerous as the hellhound and walked beside her, his scales turning a light red. Her hazel eyes seemed more green in the light reflected off the drops that were still rolling down the sides of her ship. Her boots made no dull thud against the ramp, the only noise was the clicking of the hellhound's claws against the metal. All three men realized that her skin would tan very well here and in a month at most she would be the beauty of Caribi.

"Cap'n Laurent!" One of the island men stepped forward, his smile dazzling compared to the dark interior of the ship Jack was used to. "You can call me Tom and dese idiots who cannot speak are Mike, short for Michael and Lindo. We welcome you to Caribi!"

"Thanks, Tom. We're all very happy to finally be here. It's no short flight." She said, a grin breaking her somber face a few seconds ago.

"Ah, but paradise is never around de corner, eh?" He replied quickly, making her smile even more.

"No, never was. I would love to chat but the passengers seem a bit…"

"Tired, undoubtedly." Mike said, the non-native to Caribi. "Come, let's show you your island."

Jack immediately didn't like his attitude and in response Neunzhen's scales turned a fiery orange and red, his canines barely holding back the snarl that sounded from his throat. She grabbed his collar as they began to walk from the ship and he calmed down, his tail still whipping from side to side. Tom and Lindo steered clear of the hellhound as they walked and contented themselves by talking to the passengers.

"So, how long will you be stayin' here?" Lindo asked Tony, who seemed more agreeable than either Neil or Mr. Buckner.

"Well, probably for a few months. It all depends on what Captain Laurent decides." He replied, watching Leo's eyes happily look around at the natural tropics. He wasn't entirely comfortable knowing he had to act as an older brother to Meth, but it would give the excuse to be closer ot him.

"Ah, an' why does it depend on 'er?" Lindo asked, marveling at this strange hierarchy of female captain deciding everything for the passengers, who he bet were also double-timing as a crew for her.

"It is her ship and she isn't stationed on any kind of duty, so it's up to her how long we stay." Leo said, still transfixed by the various plants and butterflies around him. One with very large wings that were lined with black but the inside a brilliant blue had landed on a large leaf only a few feet away and he couldn't take his eyes off of it.

"Is a blue monarch." Lindo supplied, causing Leo to startle, as if had been in a trance when he looked at him.

"Thanks."

"Any time." His island accent made everyone feel more relaxed.

Mike led them through the rain forest that bordered their hangar. Jack would soon learn that the island was half and half almost, half rainforest, half beach. There were a few scattered bungalows that served as living quarters and storage on the beach and one larger one in the rainforest itself. It was more of a tree-house then anything, with wooden ramps leading from the different parts.

As they walked, Tom fell in step with Jack and Neunzhen had no problem with this man, he seemed acceptable enough. Jack too was looking around the thickening forest, seemingly content with the sounds of the trees and animals and in the distance, the waves tumbling into the sand.

"So, you are Captain Laurent. May I call you by your first name?" His heavy accented English was laced with a wary concern. Jack immediately noticed this and tried to soften her demeanor as much as possible.

"Of course, my first name is Jacqueline, you may call me that or any other name you come up with from it." She added, grinning at her human walking companion.

"Hmm, I shall think on that. Your…animal friend, what is…"

"His name? He is a hellhound and his name in Neunzhen." Her voice changing with the different language and Neunzhen's head raised from the ground at the sound of his name. "Go back to tracking, it's fine." She reassured him and his black nose was back to the soft earth beneath his paws that was filled with new scents.

"I see you two are close." Tom commented, watching the creature keep in step with the captain.

"Yeah, we've been through a lot together." She said. _Like breaking out of a max security slam, _added her thoughts.

"Hmm, we welcome pet companions as well. So, what drew you to Caribi?" He changed the subject, watching the broken rays of sun that fell in between the gaps in the leaves of the trees make the woman's skin golden.

"I've always wanted to go to a tropical climate like this that wasn't created from machines. Everything is completely natural here and as much as I like automated this, that and the other, I've had a long-standing desire to visit a place exactly like this. Have you been to other planets in this system?" She asked, now feeling like the normal human being she was parading to be.

"Once or twice, but being born and raised here I like to stay put. I am fascinated by all your…automated machines. Perhaps you can show me parts of your ship?" He questioned, sounding like the cautious young man Meth had been a month ago.

"I'd be honored to. So, I was told details of our stay would be given to me." She said, glancing at him.

"In a few days when you have settled in. A speed-boat will be here to pick you up and you will visit the elders. Your friends do not need to come, one of them insisted that only you should be present." He informed, not seeing the brief alarmed look in her eyes.

"Of course. So, tell me, what does one do here in Caribi?" She asked, looking down to see that Neunzhen had stopped and his ears twitched back, exactly like the time in the ship. Laying a hand on Neunzhen's back, making him pull his head up. Tom could not see it, nor could anyone in back or front, but Jack knew it and Neunzhen felt it. Her hand was shaking ever so slightly, fear barely being contained at her fingertips. The forest had become darker to her, the sunny spots now taunting her with the same light she could never reach in her nightmares. Looking down she saw Neunzhen's scales rise and turn the brightest scarlet and orange she had ever seen.

The group had stopped and Tony stepped forward, passing Neil and Mr. Bucker, who had hidden their surprise well. He laid a hand on Jack's other arm that was opposite to the hand on Neunzhen.

"Captain? Captain Laurent? Are you alright?" He asked, sounding like a concerned passenger, not the convict that had spent most of his living hours in Crematoria surviving day to day alongside her.

"I'm fine…just…felt a little tired, that's all." She turned and smiled weakly at Tom, who had a worried look in his eyes. "Really, I'm just tired."

Mike started walking again and Jack leaned heavily on Neunzhen, but he didn't mind at all. Tom fell back into step with Lindo and she knew they didn't know that she could hear them.

"Did it say anything about a weakening disease in her files?" Tom asked, whispering so well he was almost silent.

"No, nothing of the sort. Perhaps she is tired, but I think…I think something scared her." Lindo replied just as quietly. Swallowing deeply, Jack did feel exhausted. How many sleepless nights had she sat at the controls, her eyes trained like a hawks on the alert screens? She hadn't even sat down to really think about what she had done in her life, not even to mourn the death of her father.

"We're at the rainforest home." Mike announced, looking up into the trees where Jack saw four tree bungalows, all very high off the ground. Wooden ramps attached all four of them and to get up, a pull up ladder had been left down and they climbed up. Neunzhen had unceremoniously dug his claws into Jack's backpack and held on as she climbed up. It was decided quickly enough that Jack would live here and she bid her 'passengers' farewell before finding the bedroom.

She knew she should really look through the rest of the tree house but her body directed her otherwise and when she found the bedroom she almost fell asleep on sight.

It was a spacious round room, the walls made of a dark wood and the ceiling made of rushes, to which she saw a rope was connected to, so she could pull it back and up, making a real sky light. The bed sat in the center, a very large bed with a white down comforter and white sheets. As she kicked off her boots she barely took notice of the desk in the corner made of polished wood with a glass top. Promising herself to thoroughly inspect her rooms later, she pulled off a top jacket, leaving herself in pants and tight tank top. Kicking her socks off, she let herself fall face first into the fluffy surface.

She gave out a small moan of joy and turned her head to one side to see Neunzhen looking at her with an almost sad look. Groaning, Jack rolled over and raised her head to speak.

"Get up, Neunzhen. Suppose we both have to sleep well." She mumbled, watching him gracefully jump from the floor to the bed, carefully trying not to rip the sheets or comforter with his claws. The scaly beast settled down and pretended to fall asleep while Jack actually fell into a deep rest. The blue silvery eyes opened and watched the sleeping human with a fierce protectiveness. They glanced up to meet another pair of beast eyes, silver reflecting purple without fear. Even Neunzhen thought it was just his imagination but his scales turned scarlet at the tips that was accompanied by a small growl. The other silver eyes were gone and he flicked his ears around, hoping to catch a sound, smell or sight of this beast he had just witnessed watching over Jack. There was nothing and after many silent minutes he laid his head down, not far from Jack's head. The ear closest to her flicked again, growing accustomed to the steady human heartbeat.


	10. Chapter 10

**Beastly Bonds**

**Chapter X**

**Your reviews have made me very happy so I worked in all spare moments and seconds to get the next chapter out. Appreciate it or be…mean. Anyway, in your review (if you choose to do so which your really should) end or start with one of these letters. They are choices as to how Riddick and Jack should meet. Yes, it's going to happen soon.**

**a) Something sudden and possibly intimate, in some remote part of the island**

**Riddick continues to watch her and follows her as she leaves Caribi and goes to Helion Prime, where he may or may not appear**

**And if you really must know, yes, this will be a R/J fic. I really don't see how I could not write one. But it doesn't mean it's going to happen just in a few paragraphs. Oooh no. **

**Thanks to these reviewers who continuously inspire me:**

**ren3017 – **You see, I didn't even realize how long 'Of Schoolgirls and Convicts' was going to be, I just kept writing. If it's any consolation I doubt it will be. But it's still going to be long.

**Kashimir – **There is no cheesiness in good reviews, I'll have you know. Yes, you've caught up but I'm not a cruel person who denies people their addictions, me having the horrid addiction of anything containing caffeine and/or taurine.

**Iridescent Twilight – **Your reviews make me so happy. Some more memories in this chapter, actually. Yeah, in COR she definitely looked older. Stupid Hollywood.

**And now, the story.**

The soft rush of whispering leaves mixed with the steady humming purr that Neunzhen made slowly woke Jack up. With a deep breath, she opened her eyes to see the ceiling of the tree bungalow. Glancing to see that her hellhound was fast asleep, she tried not to move the bed as she leaned to the back. Around a docking hook there was the rope that opened the sky light. Grabbing it, she undid the loops and carefully let the sky light open. She wasn't surprised to be greeted with a dark midnight sky. Ever since she had ran away the stars in the night sky looked like shattered glass, tempting her to touch them but always hurting her dreams in the end. Looking down she saw that Neunzhen was deeply asleep, his head set on his two front paws, which crossed over each other. His tail twitched in his sleep, sometimes swaying from side to side and Jack imagined he was chasing some prey across the volcanic plains of Crematoria. For a moment she was slightly intrigued as to what other natural life existed on that planet, but was soon distracted by the need for food.

She knew he would be upset if she left him sleeping so with the pad of her thumb she traced the inside of one of his ears. The eyelids flickered open and two sleep-clouded blue silver eyes looked into her green ones. His eyes closed as he let out a large yawn, his tongue curling down into his mouth as the motion drew back his muzzle, baring ivory canines.

"I'm hungry and we need to chart this place out." She explained, getting off the bed. She felt the hidden knives on her as she moved, so she didn't feel like she needed the trigger release blades in her boots. Going barefoot, she padded around the bedroom, finding a bathroom and closet of sorts. Going back, she found that Neunzhen had stretched and looked ready to go.

Together they left that bungalow and across the bridge into the next one. Each tree bungalow had a railing-less wooden deck, basically boards vertical to the trunk of the tree. She waited on the deck as she listened for anyone else in the next room. Finding it was empty, Jack realized this was a relaxation room. What looked like a very comfortable couch sat against the wall. A bamboo base held up plush beige cushions that was sided by a small table. The rest of the bungalow was empty but directly across from the couch there was an open space in the wall that led out onto a much larger deck. This one had a wooden railing and the roof weaved of rushes covered it as well except for a small space. Hanging from the wooden beams supporting the dried foliage was a very large hammock that could easily fit two people.

The view from the porch looked out over the rain forest and she was surprised to see that the bungalow tree house was actually on a ridge of a small mountain. She could see the ocean and a small lining of beach beyond the green forest if she stood at the very edge of the deck.

Walking back in she and Neunzhen ventured into the next bungalow, which was equipped as a kitchen. Various heating and cooking devices that she assumed were from old-earth periods were against the walls. It was a round kitchen and it led into another room. The counter from the kitchen pulled out and created a small space to eat from the other room. Sure enough there were two stools tucked beneath the counter that faced into the kitchen. The second room was a semi-formal dining room, with a sky light and small porch as well. As she stood outside she saw that her bedroom also had a small porch that could be accessed by walking around the trees that held the bungalow up.

The last bungalow was a fitness center of sorts. No machines, but plenty hand weights and other devices that even to Jack looked like torture. This had no deck, but a small sink and towel in the corner. Feeling her hunger gnaw at her stomach again, she went back to the kitchen where she found it was fully stocked.

She remembered with a sudden pang of sadness how her parents had never gotten into the new technology and had used all the same appliances she saw here. Try as she might, her lower lip wouldn't stop trembling and she couldn't fight the coming onslaught of tears. Food forgotten, she shakily left the kitchen and in a few moments found herself sitting in the hammock on the larger deck. Closing her eyes tightly, distant memories she hadn't touched surfaced again.

_"Jackie! Wake up!" Her fathers voice sounded very happy as she shook her gently. Giggling she ducked beneath the covers and tried to crawl out from the end of the bed. Suddenly two strong hands grabbed her waist and pulled her upright and into the air. Looking down, her father grinned at her._

_"Spin!" She shouted and laughing, he spun her around in the air a few times, making her laugh and giggle even more. When he stopped he maneuvered her around his body until she was holding onto his back, piggy back style. _

_"So, my little fighter," he called her that because she had always had a rebellious streak. "Do you remember what today is?" He asked, walking out of her room and down the hallway. _

_As she held onto him, she rested her head on his neck, watching the pictures on the wall descend as they walked down the stairs. Many of them were old maps that her mother had found hand drawn and had given to her father as presents. _

_"Jack? You ok?" Her dad asked, arching his neck to look behind him. She raised her head and nodded, rewarding him with a smile. Just a week ago he had returned from the army where he promised that he would never leave again. _

_"Dad?" She asked, holding onto him tighter as they walked along the white tiled floor. By no means was her family not well-off. _

_"Yeah?" He asked, walking through the entry hallway and turned left, where another hallway led to the kitchen but also had doors to the sitting room, living room and dining room. _

_"What do you think I should be when I grow up?" _

_"Well," he said, stopping to readjust his daughter on his back. "I think you would do well as a captain. Of a ship." _

_"A PIRATE SHIP! YAR!" Jack shouted, making her father jump and wince. _

_"Not quite. C'mon, mom's waiting." He walked into the kitchen and deposited Jack on a stool, where she saw that her mother was busy making breakfast. As she turned, a bright smile greeted her with hazel eyes. Her mother was beautiful and her father had always said that and told her that she would be gorgeous just like her mother one day. _

_"What's this talk of a pirate ship?" She asked, her voice gentle and soothing, humor weaved in. Her father walked around the counter and snaked his arms around her mother's waist and kissed her neck. Her mother couldn't see it but her dad winked at her. _

_"Dad said I should be a captain of a ship when I grow up!" She replied, swinging her feet back and forth beneath the counter. As her mother laughed Jack could see the deep love her father had for her and suddenly wished someday she could have that too. _

_"Jackie, he meant a ship in space. Besides, today is-"_

_"My birthday!" She said happily, sliding off the counter and walking to one of the overhead glass cabinets to get a glass. She barely reached it, but her fingertips grazed the cup and another hand helped her. She looked up too see her dad getting it down for her. _

_"And because of that, you should be served just like a…princess." He ended, not sure if that was the right term. As he predicted, Jack snorted with distaste. _

_"I'm not a princess! I'm a…a…" she was at loss for words until she remembered what her father was in the military. "A high commander!"_

_She realized she had said the wrong thing when a dark look passed her father's face as he gripped the glass harder. A soft touch from her mother's hand fixed it immediately and she changed the subject. _

_"Would you like chocolate chips and caramel sauce in your pancakes, Jack?" Her father shuddered slightly at the amount of sugar in that mix. _

_"You bet! Thanks, dad." She added as he gave her a cup of grapefruit juice. As she swallowed the sour liquid her dad led her over to the kitchen table where she saw a large pile of presents shining in the morning light. _

_"C'mon birthday girl, time for presents." He said, his deep voice rumbling in his chest as he picked her up and sat her down in the chair, even though she could've done it herself. As her mother came over with a large plate of chocolate chip and caramel swirl pancakes, he leaned down and kissed her forehead. _

A deep release of air made her body shudder with effort as she let a few tears fall. Her father had been the most amazing man in the world to her. She wanted to be him when she grew up but he was no longer there. As she closed her eyes again, her throat closed in pain and she whimpered quietly, making Neunzhen look up from his position on the floor. He had never heard a human make a sound of such suffering and distress before, but he had seen it in the terrain of Crematoria. A mother hellhound had just lost her cubs to the guards of the prison and she mourned in such pain. One of the guards had tried picking up one of the cubs and it had turned in his hand and bit him hard, making him take out a gun and shoot it. The dead body lay on the volcanic rock and the mother cradled it in her paws, audibly crying over her loss. It had been very painful and as the alpha of the pack, he felt it was his duty to watch the cubs in the prison. That day he had given up his freedom to make sure this mother's cubs wouldn't be killed.

_Jack was waiting on the steps of her house, waiting for her dad to come home from work. He had become a strategy advisor and was sometimes kept late. Her mother was inside cleaning the dishes from their dinner and she sat outside, the evening air calming her somewhat. _

_Her father, a few blocks away, thought about his small family. His wife, whom he loved with a fiery passion, could not have been more perfect. She was strong in his absence and had raised their daughter very well, though it was clear she took after him in some respects. His daughter, Jacqueline, had a stubborn streak that he knew would get her into trouble one day. Yet she was almost blindly loyal to those she loved and he knew that if it came to it, she would track someone across the known and unknown universe if she loved them enough. Sighing as he turned the block for his street, he looked up to find Jack sprinting down the block. He grinned as she launched herself into his arms, burying her face in his stomach._

_"Hey, Jackie." He greeted, ruffling her hair. She looked up at him and smiled, green eyes softly glowing in the evening light. "Everything alright?" He took her by the hand and they walked down the street together, Jack resting her head on his arm as she entwined both her hands around his one arm and hand. _

_"Yeah.." she sounded a little distant. She felt his body tense slightly in worry._

_"You don't sound too good. Something on your mind?" They were a house away from their own and he stopped and turning to her, released himself from her grasp and looked down at her. Her eyes looked misty almost and her face a little pale. _

_"I…" she started but stopped, holding her arms in her hands tightly pressed against her stomach. She looked down, almost in shame it seemed to him. _

_"Hey," he started, kneeling down so he could look up into Jack's eyes. "When has anything gotten to my captain like this?" _

_"Never." She spoke softly, still trying to avoid his eyes. One large warm hand took hold of one side of her head and lifted it up. His forgiving eyes shone bright and suddenly she felt better. "It's just that…I'm scared."_

_"Of what?"_

_"You know that kid, Sam, in school. The one I beat up a while ago?" She continued regardless of the amused smirk on her father's face. "Today in school he was absent for like…the fifth day in a row and all these crazy rumors have been spreading. This morning the principal came and told us that his parents had been killed by some fanatic religious group." His eyes widened in the realization of the connection and he took both of her shoulders in his hands. _

_"Jackie, girl, that's not gonna happen to us. That's what you're worried about, right?" He asked, hoping she would feel better. He hated it when she felt worried over something like this, something she was angry about because she couldn't control it. _

_"That's not all, Dad. His dad was a high commander, too. Like you. He was in the same war you were in." She spoke softly, pushing from her father's hands into him, hugging him tightly. "Dad, nothings going to happen to you, right? Right, dad?" _

_He didn't say anything but picked her up and walked towards the house, his mind running in every opposite direction. His wife stood at the door, looking confused and he mouthed to her that he would tell her later. She went back into the house knowing that if Jack knew she had seen her upset like that she would be angry. He walked up the stairs and into her room, finally setting her down on her bed. As she sat there he knelt down and took both of her hands in his._

_"Jacqueline." She looked up immediately. He never used her formal name. "I'm not going to lie to you. You're a very intelligent person and you can handle this situation. I can't swear to you that we're going to be ok. But I can tell you both me and your mom will do everything in our power to keep us safe. That's the hard truth and I promise I'll look into this at work tomorrow." _

_Sighing in relief, she hugged him again. As he stood up she watched his expression change into that of a protective father and husband whose authority had been challenged. Like one of the knights she had read about in school. He pushed her in the direction of the bathroom to clean up before dinner and she waited until he had left the room to do so. _

She opened her eyes to see the dried leaves that were weaved to make the roof. They shuffled and shifted against each other as the wind off the ocean blew through the bungalows. Tilting her head to the side she found Neunzhen making rounds of the deck, looking through the supports of the railings down into the jungle, as if expecting something or someone to be there. She made a soft clicking noise with her tongue and he looked up and seeing she was awake, trotted over to her and forcefully nudged his head beneath one of her hands.

Jack's face was drying from the tears shed over the loss of her father. Finally after all these years she had been able to sit and mourn his death. A small sliver of determination lingered beneath that sadness that wanted her to look for her mother and brother as well, if they were alive. She felt much better and swung her legs around to get out of the hammock. As her feet touched the floor she heard something move in the trees surrounding the bungalow. Her growl matched that of Neunzhen as she slowly advanced towards the edge of the deck. His ears flicked forward as he leapt from the deck onto the railing, that wasn't much bigger than his paws. Jack was surprised to see he could grip and walk at the same time, his neck bent low.

She waited for a few minutes and no other sound was heard. Sighing in annoyance, she walked backwards into the doorway, not trusting to be outside at the moment. Her hellhound soon followed, the edge of his scales still a deep orange. As she stood in the room, her mind broke into two parts.

Shower or food?

Krent, or Tony, had his back against the wall as he sat on his bed, looking out the window that was near it. The bedroom worked out as a small room, the doorway between the two beds and both of them pushed into the corners. Tony had insisted that he get the one closest to the window, mostly out of the inside need to protect Leo, or Meth. He slept in the other bed, his sheets tossed and tangled as his steady breathing matched the heartbeat of Tony.

Two blue eyes watched the older man in the bed on the opposite side of the room. The leg closest to the ceiling, which would be his left leg was pulled up, his knee acting as a place to rest his outstretched arm. His hand held a bone shiv that Jack had given him as protection some time back in Crematoria. His other leg, the right one, stretched out and his right arm lay relaxed alongside it. His blue eyes watched the slow movements of the beach and forest outside, not aware that Leo's eyes were observing him.

Much to Neil's annoyance, his father, or 'Mr. Buckner', decided to stay up and read deep into the night. Their home was configured almost exactly like Tony's and Leo's, so the light that Tipner used kept Litman wide awake. He had whined multiple times about the light but the old man ignored him completely. With his back to the other man, he wondered if he could room with Jack the next night. Probably not, so maybe he could just camp out in one of the storage bungalows.

But soon enough exhaustion won and he was just about to fall asleep when Tipner began to talk. Not in that quiet, to oneself way, but in the lecture, I want the whole damn island to hear me way.

"You know, reading is such a privilege Neil. I don't know why you aren't doing the same. The knowledge and enlightenment in each new book is enough to keep me reading until the day I die. New ideas to explore and think of, different and unique thought patterns and philosophies you've never even considered yourself. It's almost-"

He was cut when suddenly his book was grabbed out of his hands and the rest of the small pile was taken too. Litman stomped over to his bed and put them all beneath his pillow. Walking back to the other man's bed, he roughly yanked out the cord to the light and dragged that over to his side of the room as well, where he put it as close to his bed as possible. Cloaked in blessed darkness, Litman or Neil just waited for the other man to get up and approach him.

Sure enough he heard footsteps slowly and almost completely silently walking across the room. He felt the air change as one of his hands reached out to get to the books and just then did he let out a hair-raising snarl, not unlike the ones Jack or Neunzhen gave when they were pissed off.

"Well if you had wanted to sleep you should've said something." Tipner remarked as he tucked himself back in beneath his sheets. "Goodnight, Neil."

His reply was a low and angry growl.


	11. Chapter 11

**Beastly Bonds**

**Chapter XI**

**Warning: the following chapter _does_ contain obvious male/male affection, so if you are in any way bothered by this, press the 'back' button now. You've been warned.**

**Thanks to these faithful reviewers:**

**Iridescent Twilight: **yay! Bodyguard! Movie business always does that. It's a real bummer that it never works out like you want it to. Just so you know, the meeting between Jack and Riddick isn't in this chapter but the reason I'm turning out another one so soon is that the masses seem to want that scene. So I'm working into it.

**audran – **Damn, thought I had made it clear that it was sort of a strange I-see-you-but-maybe-not thing going on between Neunzhen and Riddick. Well, now you know. Well the thing about the other high commander was just Jack as a young girl linking to her dad and thus worrying about it even more because she doesn't want anything to happen to him. And no! It isn't a secret! Actually comes up in this chapter!

**ren3017 – **Oh dear, hope I don't have to start sending tissues with the chapters. More updates! Yay! Compliments! Enjoy.

**The story!**

Each party had slept into the late afternoon, seeing as how their nights hadn't been too well developed in the rest department.

Jack blearily opened her eyes, stretching on the bed, feeling joints pop and muscles extend, she made a rich humming sound that she knew sounded like a deep purr. Sitting up she ran a hand through her tangled hair, wondering what she should do in the few hours of daylight she had left. As she stood from her bed, the sheets fell around her, showing that she had undressed to the point of the binding that acted as a bra, a few elastic straps that sheathed her blades and short spandex-like shorts. Licking her dry lips she went into the bathroom and investigated the shower.

It had a curtain on one side and the other was a tight netting that let her look out into the forest and the steam drift out. She thought it was rather…scandalous in case someone was sneaking about but let it go, considering she needed to wash up. Discarding her shorts, she slowly removed each binding, hissing as she did. It was more painful then most people thought, but then again, most people wore bras, not binding. She had to take a few deep breaths before her lungs and chest went back to normal, but some pain still lanced through and around her upper body. She was reluctant to remove her blades but found a hook in the shower where she could hang them, not let them get wet and still have easy access.

She rubbed her sternum a few times, her thoughts completely somewhere else as she turned the dial for hot water. She didn't realize she hadn't closed the shower curtain yet and was surprised when she heard a deep snarl. Looking up she was relieved to find it was only Neunzhen, but he was snarling at her. Following his line of vision is went behind her and in an instant her hands held two shivs. At the same time she turned and just saw a movement in the trees below. This left her unnerved and slightly upset, so she quickly showered, always keeping her eyes on the forest.

She realized she didn't have any other clothes besides the captain's outfit and her prison clothes from Crematoria. Cursing, she stalked over to the closet and opened it to find a few pairs of pants and some shirts. She assumed that they were left there for her use and she pulled out a pair of blue jeans and a tank top. She was even more surprised to find that they had even left some underwear and bras. Jack assumed that this happened a lot, so she dressed and slipping on her boots, she checked to make sure she was armed.

Neunzhen hadn't left her side for almost the entire time since the shower and his scales hadn't turned back from the various violent shades of sunset. She ran her fingers through her wet hair, taking out any possible tangles. In a few minutes she had braided her thick hair that reached just below her shoulder blades.

Marching out to the deck, she realized that there was a way to get the ladder down, but not up. Mentally noting to ask about this later, she released two shivs into her hand and taking a running leap from the deck, shoved them deep into the trunk of a nearby tree. She considered slowly climbing down, but she wanted to get to the rest of the crew so she resheathed her blades and taking hold of one branch, began to swing her way down the tall tree. Finally reaching the last branch, she saw there was a good thirty foot drop. Looking up she saw that Neunzhen had jumped to the tree and was descending it the same way he did the rocks in Crematoria. As he passed she jumped onto his back as he slid the last twenty then rocketed them off the tree and onto the soft ground, where Jack leapt off and landed only a few feet away.

"Sorry about that, Neunzhen."

He didn't look upset or ruffled, so he nuzzled her hand slightly and walked ahead of her. Hoping he was leading her to the other bungalows, she followed him, once in a while making small mental marks to cement the path in her mind. If she hadn't been unnerved by the strange visit in the shower, she would've looked around more. Instead she kept her eyes on the bright swaying body of the hellhound in front of her, stopping to sniff or investigate something.

The soft ground absorbed her footsteps and she felt comfortable walking through this rain forest, especially with Neunzhen as a companion. They silently walked through the thick trunks and ducked beneath thorny vines and avoided dark pits that most likely held large pythons. The forest began to thin and she found man-made roads that eventually led to the bungalows.

Leo and Tony had fallen asleep earlier then Jack had and when they woke, both felt strangely awkward around each other. Tony avoided touching the younger man and Leo tried to get near him and knew he wasn't wanted by the other man's body language. It was hard on both of them and finally they ended up cornering each other.

They had just finished eating and Leo was rinsing the dishes when he felt the familiar body heat of the older ex-convict and then saw the hands firmly gripping the edges of the sink. He couldn't ignore it any longer when he felt the warm breath down his neck and turned to face two defensive yet hurt blue eyes, not knowing they mirrored his own.

"Talk." He demanded, his low voice vibrating through his body, making Leo feel it through the sink and counter.

"What did I do? Why are you repulsed by me?" He immediately asked, pulling himself up and onto the counter. As he positioned himself he felt himself slipping back and knew the faucet was going to really bruise up and hurt his back. But Tony's hands found their place on his back and pulled him up and forward, unintentionally making Leo stumble right up against the older man.

"Do I seem repulsed by you?" He asked, dropping his hands to Leo's waist, where they rested lightly. The shorter man had left his hands on Tony's chest and looked up into his face.

"No, you don't. But I'm confused." He knew this was no time to be vague or secretive. Leo forcefully denied the fire burning in his veins as he was touched, a flaming sensation that made him clench his jaw. But a gentle caress of Tony's knuckles against his jaw bone immediately relaxed him and with one hand he gripped that wrist and the other he slid down to his waist, hooking one or two fingers into his belt.

"So am I." He replied in a heated whisper, twisting his wrist from Leo's grasp and in turn holding his wrist. Leo knew that Tony could easily snap his bone in two but the tenderness in his hold made him think otherwise. He watched, entranced as the older man slowly lifted his hand to his lips. In a gesture that Leo hoped would be positive, he uncurled his fingers from the loose fisted claw they were in before. He closed his eyes as his fingertips grazed Tony's lips and had to fall against him, suddenly exhausted by the small actions.

With ease Tony picked him up as he did many times before and walked to the bedroom, where he stopped in between the two beds, in a slight dilemma. This was solved by the almost inaudible voice of the man in his arms.

"Yours."

Pulling back the made sheets, he carefully deposited Leo into his bed, glad that he had no boots and socks to be pulled off. As he left the room he turned to see the resting man look longingly at him, as if sad with the departure of his presence. Walking back to the bedside, he traced the outline of Leo's face with his fingers.

"I'll return. Rest for now, Jack will understand." He spoke softly, watching him close his eyes and fall asleep. Relieved he walked back into the main room and into the kitchen, where all he could smell was Leo. Rinsing and washing the dishes, he was drying them when Jack, Litman and Tipner appeared, followed by Neunzhen.

"Good morning Captain, Neil, Mr. Buckner," he greeted them accordingly, giving a slight nod to each.

"Antonio, good to see you're up and about. Your brother, is he…" She trailed off, stepped closer to Tony. Jack's senses were very well attuned to smell and sound and Leo's scent was just all over him. Neunzhen noticed it too, sniffing Tony's pant leg. She pulled him back by his collar with a small tug.

"Must've made sausages for breakfast." Mr. Buckner mused, looking about the room.

"Leo is sleeping, had a rough night. New place and all." He replied to Jack's original question. Nodding in response she motioned him to come closer.

"Neil and Mr. Buckner are going to stay here in case Leo wakes up. I think you and I should take a walk." She said quietly, watching from the corner of her eye the two men in question sitting down on the couches.

"Captain…if he does wake up I think he would rather-" he tried in vain to argue otherwise.

"It wasn't a suggestion." She said, her voice becoming cold and even. From behind her Tony saw Litman mouthing 'go' repeatedly and waving his hands towards the door.

"Well, Captain, it is a nice afternoon for a walk, isn't it?" He slipped back into the persona of the older brother and began to follow her outside, leaving ample room for Neunzhen to go in front of him.

As they walked, he felt increasingly at ease nearer to the ocean and next to someone who knew what he was going through. She was silent at the moment, but her keen eyes were carefully going over everything in her lines of vision.

"Captain…" he started, still unsure if she was going to be harsh.

"Feel free to call me Jacqueline, Antonio." She replied, signifying that indeed she was going to be agreeable to him and she wasn't angry with him.

"And you may call me Tony."

She merely nodded in response.

"Jacqueline," he started, not sure where to go with this. "is everything alright?"

She glanced sharply at him and stopped in mid step, looking down at the large paw prints Neunzhen left in the sandy dirt. He too had stopped a little farther ahead and looked behind, wondering why she wasn't with him. Turning back, he trotted a little ways before he reached her and sat down next to her, his blue silvery gaze carefully cataloging the movements of this human man. He briefly considered it could've been the one around Jack's bungalows but that wouldn't explain the silver eyes he had seen near Jack's bedroom. He turned his ears towards the conversation, where he caught the male in mid sentence.

"-but really, you think someone is watching you?"

"I know it!" She hissed, green eyes sparking.

"So you know it, but this person hasn't seen or visited us? Why would that be?"

"I'm sure he has, you just haven't realized it." She replied tersely, her hand curling around Neunzhen's collar.

"So this someone is a 'he'?" He clarified, continuing to walk when Jack turned and restarted their original route towards the ocean.

"Please, you know who I think it is." She said, her voice dipping lower.

"I do."

"Good. Now, before we head back is there a reason I smell Leo all over you?" She asked, a slight grin decorating her face. Something of an indignant snort was all she heard from the other man and then something mumbled.

"What was that?" she questioned, walking closer to him.

"Yes, we've become closer."

She beamed at this.

"Good, about time. Now, it's time for us to return, I believe I need to see the elders about our stay. Let's go. You know-" she was cut off by a yell from the bungalows.

Before he could even register the entire sound in his brain she was running, easily leaping over fallen logs and weaving in between trees. He followed her, just a few feet behind Neunzhen, who had no trouble at all. Suddenly speed was in his step when he thought that the yell sounded like Leo's.

They skidded into the house and Litman and Tipner must've already went into the bedroom of the bungalow. They ran in and they found Tipner trying to console the very frightened young man and Litman standing in the window, looking out.

As soon as Leo saw Tony he scrambled to sit up and run to him but he caught him in mid step and held him against his chest, sitting back into the bed. The younger man immediately curled up next to him, shaking slightly as familiar strong arms wrapped around him. Tipner noted this with a sort of satisfaction and looked up to see Jack on the window ledge with Litman.

"What did you see?" She asked him, closing her eyes briefly and smelling the air. Before he could even reply she had jumped from the window and taken off into the surrounding forest, the hellhound behind her, scales a full fiery red, almost exactly like in Crematoria. He stood on the window and looked down at the ground, hoping to see some sort of evidence. Finding none, he sat down on the ledge and looked at the bed.

Leo had tried to fit into every curve of the other man's body, burying his face in his chest. Tony had one arm firmly wrapped around his waist, the other resting on his back and his hand gently carded through Leo's hair. Tipner sat on the bed opposite to the one occupied and looked at Litman who raised an eyebrow.

They stayed like that until Jack returned, a wild chased look in her eyes. She growled, showing that she hadn't caught the something or someone. Her hellhound leaped in through the window after her, barely looking winded.

"Meth," she started, immediately gaining his attention. "What did you see?"

She waited for him to partially uncurl himself from Tony, but the other man's arms still held him protectively. The young man was facing her and began to describe the person he had seen. It was no mystery as to who it was and Jack was ready to beat the living daylights out of the man being described.

"Captain…what's going to happen?" The elder Buckner asked, tearing his gaze away from the two men intimately sitting with each other on the bed.

"We're staying. He isn't a threat. I need to go to the elders to talk about the length of our vacation or whatever here. The four of you stay together, do not stray at all." She ordered, checking her weapons.

"And you will be with Neunzhen?" Litman asked.

"Indeed I will. I might be gone for a bit." Was all she said before she left the room, hellhound in step behind her. With a tilt towards the door, Neil saw that his 'father' wanted him to leave the room with him. Glancing at the pair on the bed he understood and quietly got up and left.

"Krent…" Leo whispered, still pressed against him. "You won't leave me will you?"

"Never." He instantly replied, placing a light kiss on the younger man's forehead. They grew more comfortable with each other and soon Leo fell asleep, happy not to be alone.

Jack had found a small speed boat near the hangar and after a few trial and error runs on how to use it, she was steadily cruising along. She had read the few notes left behind by Tom on which island to go to and had no trouble finding it. They bounced over the waves, salt water spraying up into their faces. Jack wasn't sure if Neunzhen was enjoying water travel, but she loved it. Slowing down, the front of the boat tipped back into the water as they steadily motored their way towards the docks.

Tom and Lindo were waiting as she docked, easily bringing the boats side along parallel to the wooden dock. Neunzhen leapt from the boat to the ramp, scrambling to pull himself up as Jack easily mounted and climbed the ladder. With a sharp tug on his collar, he made it up, shaking whatever water was left on him off.

"I trust you slept well, Captain?" Tom asked, walking off the docks. Following him, she replied that indeed she and her passengers had slept quite well. No need for them to know that they had brought trouble right into Caribi.

"Good. The elders will see you." He informed her.

They walked off the docking area and the sandy beach led into a tropical pathway that served as a trail circling the small mountain. Large leaves from the tress above provided shade as they ascended the mountain, small flowers bursting with colour along the way. She asked many questions about planets and wildlife, all readily answered by either of them.

Finally they reached the summit, where there were various buildings built into the broken top of the mountain. People were milling about, some herding goats or chasing cats out of their fish storages. She smiled as she saw children chasing each other, yelling in a tongue she wasn't familiar with. As they walked towards the center building, a young boy cautiously walked up to her, his dark brown eyes holding something akin to curiosity.

Tom ordered the child to leave her be but she waved him to be quiet and knelt down to be on eye level. Falling into a seated position, she saw that the child was constantly looking at Neunzhen.

_Of course, they would have never seen something like him. Different system and climate structure all together._

"'alo." The boy greeted, if not a little terse in tone. Tom reprimanded him in the same language she had heard before.

"Hi. What's up?" She asked, clicking her tongue, beckoning Neunzhen to her. He idly walked to where she was sitting, eyeing the chickens and goats at the same time.

The young boy pointed at the hellhound. Nodding in return, she motioned Neunzhen to come closer to the boy. He approached the human, wondering if this was a sort of test. He smelled fear on the boy, just rolling off. But there was a hidden respect behind it, and he smelled that too. It was almost exactly like a hellhound cub that he might've had the responsibility of watching over. Playing in the volcanic dust of Crematoria and suddenly wandering too far away from his view. He would immediately find them, give them a warning growl and swat on the head and they look at him with the same mixed spark of emotion he saw in the human boy.

Jack watched carefully as he approached the boy and standing just on his legs he easily reached the boys head with his own. The boy stood stock still as Neunzhen sniffed his face, making his hair flutter.

A scared woman's cry echoed across the way and Neunzhen immediately stepped back, standing behind Jack as she stood up, seeing what was happening. The owner of the voice hurried forward and Jack realized it was the boy's mother. She swept him up in his arms, chastising him profusely. She then turned at Jack and glared at her and began to yell in the same tongue she had heard before.

Tom stepped forward and silenced the woman with a harshly spoken word. Jack kept one hand curled around Neunzhen's collar and watched the boy's eyes look at the hellhound. She waited as she half-listened to the conversation. Lindo stepped forward and touched her arm, pointing to the building they were heading to before. She nodded and walked forward, letting go of her companion. He walked alongside her, glancing once or twice behind him to see if the human boy was still there.

The doors opened as she stepped on the stairs that led up into the building. Walking forward she saw that shoes were removed as a custom. Frowning she knelt down take off her shoes but an old voice stopped her.

"High Commander Laurent's daughter would be cautious about taking her shoes off. I assume you hold knives there, do you not?"

She immediately stood and looked farther into the dark room, it was only lit by the natural light. An old native sat in a chair centered to the back wall and smiled at her.

"I do, indeed. How do you know who I am?" She stood at the threshold of the door until he waved her in. Walking forward she saw there were a few other older men there, watching her and Neunzhen walk confidently into the hall.

"Well, your ID. But I served with your father in the military. Is he still at home with your mother?" He asked, motioning for her to sit down in front of him. Folding her legs beneath her she sat on the provided cushion and Neunzhen lay down next to her.

"Unfortunately not." She whispered, feeling a pinprick of tears.

"So he moved then?" He questioned, seeing the misty look in the young woman's eyes. She was indeed the perfect mix of her parents, beautiful like her mother but wild and unpredictable like her father.

"No, he was killed. My mother was kidnapped and I had to run away. I…I don't know where she is or if she's alive." She admitted, wincing at the saddened sigh from the elder.

"How did he die, child?" He asked softly, reminding Jack of Imam.

She related the memory to him and watched as his face darkened at the circumstances he was killed in. When she told him that her mother had been pregnant with her younger brother he looked very sad.

"I'm very sorry to hear that you're alone, Jacqueline." His old voice held power and it was clear that he and her father had been friends.

"I've grown accustomed to it." She replied, dislodging a small pebble from beneath one of Neunzhen's scales. He appreciatively licked her hand and she rubbed his ear in return.

"Indeed. So, you are staying in Caribi. For how long?" They changed the subject and Jack felt better, knowing that she had a sort of confidant on the island besides her crew.

"A few months give or take. I need to find some people but I'll probably return afterwards. Unless something comes up." She replied, seeing him nod.

"Well you know the justice of Caribi, so I don't need to inform you of that. Now, is there anything else you wish to know?" He asked, leaning forward in his chair.

"A few things. If I want to go to a different island, just to visit, is there someone I need to contact?"

"You can send a message to either here or Tom, whom you have already met."

She asked a few more questions and felt at ease in the presence of this man and completely forgot about the earlier encounter today. As she stood to leave, he stood as well and walked forward into better light. He kissed her on each cheek and grasped her forearm in farewell. She waited until he returned to his seat before she left the building, blinking against the sun as she descended the steps.

The boy was no where in sight and Tom was just coming out of a small market stall. He approached her and held out a small pastry. She took it, thanking him for the snack as they began to descend the mountain. He explained as they walked that Lindo was called home to help with something, so Tom remained to see her to her boat.

"You know, from what I listened to, you get along very well with the elder." He referred to the center man. "What was the connection?"

"He served with my father in the military." She replied, finishing off the meat pastry. It was a little spicy but not too bad and Tom handed her another one. She was going to eat later so she gave it Neunzhen, who ate it up quickly, little flakes of pastry caught in his scales.

"Ah, indeed. He is a good man, the elder. Very good judge of character. Recently he has turned many people away from long stays on this part of Caribi, so you're quite lucky."

She was slightly surprised at this news but didn't show it. Before long they were on the docks again, the completely clear water lapping against the wooden poles. Jack jumped into the boat and Neunzhen followed suit, rocking the speed boat a bit.

"Have a safe trip back." Tom said as his farewell as she waved back and put the boat in reverse. As it motored out into the small bay, she easily turned it and kicked up the speed. Once they were out of range of hurting anyone, Jack slowly pushed it into a high speed. As the bounced along the waves, she decided that she should go swimming later.

She passed a few other islands and she saw various bungalows on the beach or built into the small mountain rainforest. To Neunzhen's relief she slowed and pulled into the docks of their island. Tying the boat off as she stood on the docks, she helped the hellhound climb up.

The sun was beginning to set as she walked from the docks along the beach, where she would cut through to the bungalow she left the crew in. Lost in thoughts and memories, she didn't realize that Neunzhen was quite a ways behind her, challenging another beast he saw in the edge of the forest. She continued to walk, breathing in the salty air. Yet she heard a slight shuffle and short roar and instantly turned around, shivs in hand. Neunzhen bounded out of the forest, walking towards Jack, completely unharmed.

She didn't sense that whatever was there was still around, so she sheathed her blades and continued walking, keeping on eye on the forest. Jack thought she caught the scent of human blood but waved it off as she couldn't actually see any of the red substance.

Yet as she turned in to walk to the bungalows, she didn't see Neunzhen stopping at the water's edge, dipping his paw into the water. Blood washed off his claws, instantly diluted by the mass of ocean water. Wasting no time, he ran to catch up with Jack. If this beast was going to be near Jack, then at least one of them could pick up the scent of an open wound nearby.


	12. Chapter 12

**Beastly Bonds**

**Chapter XII**

**Yes, this is the chapter you've been waiting for.**

**Thanks to these reviewers:**

**XinnLajgin – **Sorry I didn't thank you in the last chapter, I had posted chapter XI before you reviewed X. But here! Thank you for reviewing and yes, this is the chapter of Riddick's appearance.

**ren3017 – **Thank you, Ren, but I'm unsure of what the 'good' refers too. Is it supposed to be 'God'? Is it because I update so quickly? Whee for quick updating, I enjoy making the reviewers happy.

**audran – **Indeed, Jack needs more friends. I might incorporate some of those ideas in your review into the next chapter, crediting you of course. He learned that lesson with Neunzhen, but you'll see he just can't keep out of that claw range.

**Iridescent Twilight – **Good, I was hoping that someone besides me would like the Krent/Meth. It's pretty sweet, I think so too. Yeah, Riddick can be a real asshole. Read the warning too before you start the chapter. Here's your fix.

**Warning to those of you who've kept up with this fic:**

**There is some strange mood changes in this and it isn't as sweet and cute as it starts out. I rewrote this chapter twice because I wasn't sure how to go about doing it. Yeah and also, Riddick feels a little sad and lost in this. He may be Riddick, but it doesn't mean he is unaffected by emotions. **

**/_Riddick's thoughts./_**

_**Jack's thoughts.**_

**Now, onto the story. **

Somehow she had felt better after meeting with the elder, so she let Litman and Tipner go back to their bungalow and then had quite a long conversation with both Krent and Meth about the possibility of a future relationship. A direct threat towards the older man was made warning him that if he hurt Meth there would be hell to pay. It ended with earnest hopes of luck and relief from the two men.

As Jack walked back through the forest she knew it wasn't long. He had to show up sometime and it wasn't his style to keep sneaking around like this. The hellhound patrolled in front of her, taking moments to paw at something in the ground or sniff around. She knew Neunzhen must be having a field day with the entirely new environment so she let him wander completely. If anyone stupid enough to sneak around was actually there, well, it would be their fault entirely if something happened to them.

She reached the base of one of the tress that held up the bungalow that was her bedroom. Vivid curses flowed from her mouth as she realized she would have to climb a tree to get back up. Calling Neunzhen over, she sharpened her shivs, knowing they could get dulled in the manner she was about to use them in.

"Why don't you go wander for a bit? Map out the island. Feel free to hunt and roam. Don't get yourself into trouble." She said, rubbing the top of his muzzle with her thumb. He licked her hand in thanks and turned around, heading off into the trees, most likely to find a meal.

Rubbing her hands she apologized to the tree before she slammed her shivs into the trunk, using them to pull her up. It was a long haul up until she got to the branches. Using those as she did before, she swung up each set until she reached her deck, where she swung off and gracefully landed on the wooden planks, not making a sound.

As she stepped into her bedroom she waited to listen for someone or something but finding it quiet, she changed back into her pants from prison, easy to move in and plenty of pockets. She had washed them that morning and was glad to see she didn't need to sew them up. She left the black tank top on and went barefoot to the bathroom, where she immediately stopped.

The problem was that she couldn't smell anything. Disinfectant was all she could make out, maybe with some rubbing alcohol. Someone had been wounded and came into here. She softly opened the cabinets to find that indeed the first aid kit was missing. She backed out slowly and without any noise moved to the door that led to the other bungalows. Stepping out onto the deck she caught the unmistakable scent of the man who had been with her all this time but had she had refused to accept it. She was downwind of him, which made it easier for her to creep along the planks of the ramp. Jack knew he was there, she could almost feel the pulse of the other beast in the air.

She stopped in the middle of the bridge, a figure catching her eye on the deck of the next bungalow. He stood in all his majesty at the end of the deck, leaning against the railing in front of him as he clenched his jaw, trying to clean out a wound. On closer inspection she recognized the claw pattern of a hellhound and knew that Neunzhen had gotten him just earlier that day. Seeing as the sun was setting, his goggles were hanging off his belt, glinting in the remaining light. He wore his uniform – black pants and black wife beater, accompanied by his military-like boots. Smiling at this, she stayed as quiet as possible, moving smooth and slow. Deciding to come up behind him, she entered the bungalow and went through it, looking out onto the open porch she was filled with a feeling of relieved joy.

Whatever anger she had held for him was gone, replaced with a sort of animalistic tenderness and appreciation. As she approached him she saw the contents of the first aid kit were scattered around the porch. He was completely engrossed in his wound and she jerked her head slightly when she heard him hiss through his teeth.

Jack was almost a foot away from him and as she walked to the side of the wound, the wind suddenly changed and as her hand touched his forearm he smelled her. It was like she had appeared with the new gusts of wind.

They held eye contact for a few silent minutes, the blood from the wound on his upper arm slowly streaming down his arm, covering Jack's hand with his blood.

The figure in front of him was undeniably Jack, her scent, her movement and just her being was everything he had dreamed of and imagined. She had grown into a beautiful woman, strong, confident and unafraid. Riddick felt a torrent of emotions tossing everything he had felt about her out the window. Jack had become a beast like himself, where the smallest of touches of sounds meant changes in fate. None of this was visible on his face and Jack's thoughts were just as secret.

That image of him broken she had seen in Crematoria shattered, there were no dulled silver eyes staring at her, his strength and control was complete. Yet she was just as strong now, she didn't need to depend on him for protection. To her, this was the perfect idea of spending her time with him, they were equal in the eyes of the nature.

"Jacqueline." He spoke her name and she felt instantly at peace and accepted by him.

Slipping around, she stepped in front of him, one hand still on his arm. As her hand raised he didn't flinch away, he didn't turn his head, he could have a basic instinctual trust in her. A light touch of her fingertips grazed his cheek and he felt himself being pulled towards the bungalow. He was gently shoved into the hammock and sat in the center, sitting horizontal to the shape of it.

He watched Jack gather the medical contents of the first aid box he had taken from her bathroom. Setting up them up a foot or two away from the hammock, she carefully took the half-empty bottle of rubbing alcohol and poured some disinfectant in it. Mixing it she applied it to a strip of untouched cloth. Without words she mounted the hammock, sitting on it with her legs hanging over both sides. She faced his side where the wound was on his arm and looked at him for the ok.

They caught eye contact again and with his clean hand he reached over and pulled up one of her legs onto his lap, leaving one behind him to dangle over the edge. As she cleaned the blood off of his arm, she subconsciously tightened her leg and it ended up around his waist, holding him tightly to her. When she reached the wound she reapplied the mixture and brought it up to his arm and firmly held it to the claw wounds.

He tried pulling away and the leg kept him anchored and with a few small touches to his back, she had him calmed. She knew it hurt, Tipner had used it on her in Crematoria. Medical supplies had been sparse but somehow he always managed to come up with something.

As she worked, carefully cleaning each claw mark she was just as engrossed as he had been minutes before. He rested the hand of his uninjured had on her leg, able to feel the well-

trained muscles beneath the cloth. As she leaned back on the hammock to reach for the needle and thread, her shirt pulled up, exposing her thin and muscled stomach. As she returned to her seated position, she easily threaded the needle and carefully began to work again, still oblivious to Riddick's looks. He began to think deeper on this progression of…Jack's growth as she moved onto another claw scratch.

/_She's the same kid but another woman altogether. Nimble fingers, deft movements and a very calming aura, something she needed to find for herself. God she's beautiful. _

_Can't smell any attraction on her, but she's a beast now, too. Hiding feelings, emotions to keep the pack safe. Survived Crematoria, even broke out of it and somehow she's still viewed as human. Wonder how I missed that chance._

_I can't help it, why did I chase her down? Wasn't it to make sure no assholes were going to hurt her? Devil knows what it turned into. Those nights alone on the dark skiff, seeing, imagining and dreaming of her. So I tried to be the knight in shining armor, but it got me a scar from a hellhound and the 'maiden in distress' tending to me. Second part isn't too bad, I guess. I could handle some more loving from her. But jump ahead and I could really fuck this up. _

_Christ, Jack, what have you done to me? Somehow you've blurred the line between addiction and adoration./ _

Finishing the last stitch, she tied it off very well and discarded the needle and thread to the floor. She picked up the gauze and peeled the tape off the first roll. As she curled her hand around his arm to bring it out to wrap it she felt the muscles beneath her fingers twitch.

"Relax, I've got you." She spoke, the first thing she had said to him. And somehow that burned into his mind. A gentle command and a three word phrase was all it took to realize he couldn't just get up and leave after this.

When his arm was wrapped, she dropped her hands and looked at his profile. To her he was a god, regardless of looks. He could be scarred beyond recognition and she would still…

_What? Worship him? Hasn't that changed into something else? Follow him? You know that isn't right. Admit it already, you've always loved him. _

He began to move and she wasn't to sure what was happening but somehow that didn't matter. They were together and accepted one another. Her legs still dangled over each side, the one on his lap slipping down when he moved. He lay down, resting his head on Jack's stomach. His arms lay over the edge, each resting on one of Jack's legs. In turn she laid her hands on his shoulders, sometimes lightly touching his neck.

"Riddick?" She questioned aloud, making him feel the gentle blow of her breath on his head and the minor vibration of his name in her body.

"Yeah, what's up Jack?" he asked, wondering how she wasn't raging at him for leaving her with Imam all those years ago, but she clearly a reasonable woman now.

She was silent for a few moments, her fingers stroking his neck. Jack herself thought she was going to slit his throat the day she found him, but now all she wanted was to be with him. Undead, preferably.

"Jack?" He asked again, turning his head so he faced out the hammock and he saw the sun was just about gone beneath the horizon.

"Explore with me tomorrow?" She asked, sitting up and pulling back from him. He sat up as well, his back to her. As he ran a hand over his shaved head she scooted closer to him, cautiously laying her head on his back and molding her front to his back. She was surprised when he took her hands and guided them around his waist, but she didn't ask.

"Sure. Tired?" He asked, his voice rumbling through her body.

"Wouldn't mind some rest." She mumbled, attempting to get out of the hammock. She began to rock it and soon stumbled out, caught by Riddick who easily got out of it. As she looked at him, her thoughts ran amuck.

_This is surreal. I'm going to wake up in Crematoria tomorrow, still being the prey of the hellhounds. Why is he so docile?_

Riddick's head wasn't empty, either.

/_This is too easy, she's being so level-headed. Isn't like her but why can't I accept this/ _

_Riddick, why can't you yell at me for something? Have we both wanted this for so long we just don't have it in ourselves to let loose and beat the shit out of each other?_

She stepped closer to him and now that she was facing him, buried her face in his chest, hugging him to her. He held her as well, feeling the oncoming of tears in her body.

_/Well, fuck. Had to happen sometime, right/_

_Why? Why this, why now? I'm not ready, am I? I just accepted my family being dead or lost and he appears, just like those happy endings. Why couldn't of this happened in Helion?_

_/C'mon, Jack, let it go./_

_Fuck, I lose my family and then he saves me from being killed on that planet. Could I have avoided being a convict altogether if he hadn't stepped into my life?_

_/Oh shit, she's getting that look. She ain't gonna be sad for a while, better prepare myself for that lash of fiery wrath. What's that saying? "Hell hath no-/_

"This is what I am because of you!" She shouted, pushing him away from her. Her eyes blazed in a way that hadn't been seen since Crematoria. She was furious.

"Jesus, Jack, explanation wouldn't hurt!" He snapped back, now missing the content mood they had been in just minutes ago.

"I could be looking for my family right now if it hadn't been for you! From that fucking planet I could have fled and looked for them! Not fuck up my life and end up in Crematoria! It's your fault!" She yelled, furious.

"JACK! Who the hell would've saved your ass back there, huh? Imam? Fry? Without me, you'd all be digested snack food right now! Even if you wanted to do this shit of 'looking for your family', why the hell didn't you do it after I left you in Helion?" He shouted back, confused by this outburst. She had family?

_/Family, Riddick. What are you to her? Replacement, that's what./_

"Fine, so I couldn't go looking for them after you left. Imam had me under his wing. How would he feel if I told him I had a real family out there?" She asked, not realizing what she was doing to him.

_/How **he **would feel? Jack, I thought you and I…/_

"You have family, do you?" He asked, quieting like her.

"Yeah, I think so. Slim chance but at least it's something. I wouldn't be alone anymore."

_/Alone? You heard her, she's feel alone, even in your company. You're nothing to her, you've been used./_

"Jack, then what are you doing here?" He asked, ignoring the fact he had had a hope only hours ago that she had come here to tempt him. To give him a chance to appear and be with her. Maybe forever.

_/No, not now. She's all I've got left./_

"Hiding, waiting for threat to pass. He was killed, Riddick. My dad, protecting me and my mom and unborn brother. All because he served in an army and was sent to war. He's gone, they're probably gone and I'm left. One last Laurent, all fucking alone." She trailed off, sinking to the floor of the porch.

Riddick approached her, his silver eyes suddenly glinting. She pushed images of a furious Neunzhen cornering prey in the prison from her mind. He understood, he wouldn't be angry at her. He knelt down, whispering in her ear.

"You might be the only living person who has successfully used me and broken me."

And with that, he was gone.

He watched from a few tree tops away, the way her shoulder suddenly slumped and her body began to shake. It's true, this wasn't the way it was supposed to be. But it was her fault, wasn't it? He was about to turn when her wailing cry pierced the night air, freezing him in his tracks.

He had been wrong, she didn't use him, she was just without family. Jack must've been coming to terms with it as she was escaping from Crematoria.

_/Fuck, she really will be pissed now, but I'm not leaving her like that./_

Her whimpers made his inner beast cry out in anger. He had hurt her. The unfamiliar feeling of guilt tormented him. He had thought she had threw him out, not wanting him anymore.

_/And what, start from scratch? Risk your own neck by returning? Get out, now/_

He wasn't dealing with this now. Soon, but not yet. He turned to walk across the tree branch, which would lead further away from the bungalows.

Yet as he looked up, he was met with a sight that he was sure would greet him at the gates of hell.

Jack's hellhound, Neunzhen, was waiting at the end of the branch, scales raised to their full extent, burning harder then any sun he had ever seen. His rippling snarl was accompanied by the unsheathing of claws that scraped the bark off the branch.

Jack's cries were muted as a bellowing roar was released from the angry animal, charging forward. He stepped back only to miss the branch. He tried to catch part of the tree to hold himself up, but a snarling mass of claw and canine was there, pushing him off the tree.

As he fell he realized that this was going to be a shit way to die, fucking up Jack's feelings and dying from falling from a tree? Yet as he continued to descend, he saw a purple figure in trees, definitely human. It dropped farther below then him and as he looked to see where it was, his head was smashed into a branch, making him black out. But the last thing he was someone grabbing him and preventing him from dying by hitting the ground. Slipping into darkness, a small breeze blew the scent of his rescuer past his nose.

/_Jack, glad you didn't let me go./_


	13. Chapter 13

**Beastly Bonds**

**Chapter XIII**

**Thanks to these reviewers:**

**XinnLajgin – **Well, if you ask me, it comes out in this subject of fanfiction particularly. Why? Because Riddick is the perfect character to embody such a characteristic that most males of today don't possess and probably never will. Nah, I'll doubt they'll ever get along, considering they're both watching over Jack.

**ren3017 – **Like I thought, Riddick might be able to kill a whole damn load of mercs but doesn't mean he is the best fighter against animals. Sorry about the not-the-next-day-update, there is an excuse a little farther down.

**whitelite – **Ooh! New reviewer! How very exciting for me. Yes, he did go through emotional swings, but yeah it does happen to everyone. Glad you liked it.

**Iridescent Twilight – **Calm thyself! No need to be so excited in such horrible weather like this. It's so hot when I go running out, so please, don't over exert yourself. Dehydration is such a nasty thing. Yay for cuddling and I'm sure Krent would give you the ok if you weren't male. I've got a list of ways not-to-die, that would be one of them. And being pecked to death by a seagull (which has actually happened). Update! Here! Yay!

**Usual warning. **

**Why this update isn't the next day: **Funny story, actually. Every time I sat down to write I would be interrupted. Today I was going to write after playing some ultimate Frisbee but when I jumped to catch the damn thing I fell into a fence resulting in numerous scrapes and scratches. Also broke the fence, but that's not my fault. Honest. So I couldn't write because I wasn't about to get my laptop bloody. So! With bandages I finished the chapter. Oh the things I do for you guys.

As the sun set, Litman, or Neil, set down his glass of ice water he had been drinking on the porch deck that faced out to the ocean.

He could live this life. He sat facing the water, the sun's last rays reflecting brightly off the clear water. Just then he realized he had yet to really thank Jack for getting him out of Crematoria.

His thoughts lazed from one subject to another, making up a list of mental points that he had to do, knowing somewhere in the back of his mind that it would be forgotten by tomorrow morning. Tipner and he had just had a conversation about the relationship between Krent and Meth.

Litman had been surprised to learn that the entire crew was more worried about his reaction then anything else. To him it was simple. You are who you are and if you are happy in that situation, so be it. The world was better off with happier people, that was the base of his life philosophy. He was fine with it obviously and was glad that they had found each other, one to learn from the other and the other to protected by one. He knew they would succeed long term.

He wasn't too fond of being outside in the early evening, so he got up in a few minutes and went back inside. Tipner was sitting on one of the couches, resting, his eyes closed. The old man had kept him alive at some points in his life, especially in Crematoria. Had saved his ass time after time, telling him what fights to back out from and which ones to fight. He was a good companion, no matter how grouchy either of them could become.

As the night winds blew in, Litman shivered slightly. He decided that regardless of how fit he might be for his age, it wasn't healthy for the old man to go without some warmth. Taking the blanket from the back of the couch and opened it and draped it over Tipner.

He wandered over to one of the other couches backed up against the wall and dropped into it, snuggling into the cushions. As he began to fall asleep, he heard a pained cry from farther up in the forest. At first he thought it just sounded female, maybe it was an animal or something.

He sat straight up and began cursing. There was only one female to his knowledge on this island and it was Jack. Pushing himself from the couch he shook Tipner awake, none to gently either.

"Fuck, wake up!" He yelled, shaking him.

"I'm awake! What in the name of-"

He was cut off by another cry, a little quieter this time.

"That would be Jack! Go! I'll get the others!" He pulled Tipner off the couch, running out the back porch and into the sand. His boots spraying sand everywhere as he ran across the beach. When their bungalow was in sight, he began to shout loudly. With not very elegant language, either.

-going back in time again-

Eventually Meth became hungry and woke up, making Krent rise as well. They were quiet, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence.

As the younger man was preparing food on the counter, arms wrapped around his waist and he felt Krent nuzzle his head affectionately. He leaned back into the strong body of the older man, now half-heartedly making something to eat.

Soon he was left alone at the counter, the other man needing to find something to eat himself. Silver clinked, plates made small clattering noises as the moved on the counter. They both drank water and ate in a companionable silence.

With that necessity done, hand in hand they went back into their bedroom, laying down on the same bed. Krent lay on the side closest to the wall, pulling Meth towards him. They weren't facing each other, but the older man's soft breath against the back of his neck made Meth feel at ease, his eyes closing shut. Krent protectively lay one arm around Meth's waist, pulling him closer, if even possible.

But soon he fell asleep as well and the sun set on the entwined figures, both in a deep rest. Neither heard the upset cry only minutes later, but when Litman began to shout, Krent sat up immediately.

"Krent?" Meth sleepily asked, turning around. The sitting man had one arm on each sides of him, his body shielding him from the window.

"Get up. Put on your boots, arm yourself. Now." He said, following him as he scrambled out of bed, obeying the orders without hesitation.

As he finished strapping up his second boot, Litman ran into the bedroom, looking a little winded. He didn't miss the formidable stance that Krent presented, standing in front of the youngest man in the room.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder.

"Jack…cry…forest…trouble…" was all he could get out, trying to catch his breath. After a few more heaves he was feeling better and watched as Meth armed himself, looking unafraid. He had already killed, so whatever happened here probably wouldn't bother him either.

"Let's go." Krent said, leaving no room for argument. "Tipner?" He asked, as the trio ran out of the house, heading towards the forest. Litman explained as they went deeper in, the rain forest looking darker and more threatening as night fell around them.

-back into present-

Jack had just caught Riddick's hand, thankfully belonging to the uninjured arm. It robbed her a lot of energy, pulling him up and securing him onto her back. Her bare feet weren't helping either, getting scratched as she climbed the trees, slowly making her way back to the porch.

She knew Neunzhen followed at a distance, probably wondering why the hell she was saving the man that he had thought was a threat to her. As she carefully crossed the branches, she heard running footsteps through the forest and guessed that the crew had heard something or another.

Jack was thankful when she saw the edge of the porch in sight and pulled Riddick's unconscious body up again, hoping he wouldn't fall off. She watched her feet on the branches, precisely placing each step. So she was surprised when she looked up to see the confused face of Krent, he was standing on the edge of the porch, watching her progress with Meth, Litman and Tipner. As she reached the porch, he leaned over and easily lifted the convict's body off of hers, laying it down on the porch. He knew she didn't need help, but he leaned back over the railing and found Jack to be climbing up the wooden structure. Ignoring whatever protests she might've made, he easily wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her up and over the railing.

"Thanks, Krent." She said softly, after being put down onto the porch. He nodded in response, his eyes not drawn towards the famous silver-eyed convict spread eagled over the porch but to Meth, who was walking towards him. The younger man slipped his arms around Krent's waist, resting his head on his chest. He wasn't the only one unnerved by the new comers presence.

Neunzhen prowled on the railing, still obviously wary of this silver-eyed human who he smelled and sensed as a beast. But he also smelled his human, Jack, on him, so he had to assume he wasn't that much of a threat. Yet in his eyes, Jack was closer than any pack member and he could smell a very distinct attraction on the new male that he had towards Jack. Yet he willingly followed her as she picked him up, carrying him into the bungalow.

"Jack," Tipner asked, also following her into her living room, which she went right through and headed straight for the bedroom. "Do you think he is seriously injured?"

With a deep breath she lifted him from her back and carefully lay him down on the bed, showing a certain tenderness none of them had ever really seen, except maybe towards Neunzhen. He didn't miss the slight caress she bestowed on his leg as she turned to face him.

"No, I don't think so, I'll check. Hey, if you don't mind, tell Krent and Meth that they should stay in the living room. You and Litman are welcome to stay here as well, it's dark out and I don't want you all to be wandering about. We still have yet to map out the island. You know-"

"Really, Jack, you could've just said you wanted company until he woke up." He cut her off, smiling slightly. He saw how she looked shaken up, her eyes still a bit red and her breathing just slightly erratic.

"Thanks, I'm just going to give him a quick look over. Meet you in there." She said, turning back around. Neunzhen had jumped up onto a cushioned chair not far from the bed, watching Riddick's breathing. Tipner left the room, leaving her with Riddick.

_How could I have known he felt that way?_ She wondered, sitting down next to him and laying her hand on his closest forearm. She sat closer to his head and gently took it into her hands, inspecting the back for any serious head trauma. Luckily, it looked like he had just been hit unconscious, no long-lasting damage.

As she stood up she saw that part of his shirt was ripped and looked to see that he had gotten a nasty scratch from falling through the trees. Jack was relieved that he didn't wake up as she removed his shirt, exposing his muscular chest and torso. Inspecting the wound closer she growled quietly. Another scar from Neunzhen.

"Neunzhen, he isn't a bad man. You've got to stop doing this." She said to the hellhound, whose guilt flickered slightly in his eyes. "I really do like him as well, so you may stay around but just be wary of him."

With a snort Neunzhen put his head back down on his paws and let his eyes flutter shut, knowing his human was confident of being safe and protected. Jack sighed as she leaned over to her bedside table, where Tipner had put down the medical supplies she had left out on the deck.

Soon he was stitched and bandaged, leaving Jack hands somewhat bloody if not in need to be washed. She had put a plastic sheet beneath him as she worked, so her sheets had received a miracle in still being clean enough to sleep in. She got up and went into the bathroom, where she scrubbed her hands clean of his blood. Padding back into the bedroom she watched him sleeping on the bed.

While he simply gave a presence of being strong and undefeatable, Jack felt a lingering loneliness beneath it all, not unlike a wolf who had not yet found its mate. She quickly walked to the living room, where she found Meth comfortably reclining between Krent's legs, his upper body resting on the older ex-convict's chest. Hands were entwined as were legs and she smiled slightly and turned to see Litman arguing quietly with Tipner about something. Some things would never change.

"Hey guys, if you want to go back to your bungalows you can. I'm heading off to bed, though." She informed them, yawning in the process. She really did need some rest.

"You're sleeping in the same bed as **_him_**?" Litman asked, sounding impressed and afraid at the same time. "Isn't that dangerous?"

"Maybe for you, considering I don't know if he swings that way." She smirked, her comment making both Krent and Meth smile as well.

"Very funny. Well, I'm not prancing through the rain forest in the dark. Goodnight, kids." Litman replied, settling himself on one of the other couches.

"Tipner?" She asked, knowing she had no need to ask Krent and Meth what their plans were. They seemed comfortable enough.

"The hammock will suit me just fine." He informed her, pushing himself up from his seat, walking towards the deck. With a tired nod to Krent, she turned around and went back into her bungalow.

Riddick still lay as he did before, if not a little more relaxed. Jack closed the sky light, knowing the sun wouldn't be kind to his eyes when he woke up. She slipped into the bed, laying down on the other half.

As she was about to fall asleep she felt the bed shift and suddenly Riddick's arm wrapped around her waist, drawing her close against his chest. The bare skin of her back exposed by her shirt came into contact with his bare chest and she had to close her eyes, trying her best to regain normal breathing.

"Don't resist, Jacqueline." He growled into her hair, making her eyes flutter in a sort of strange pleasure. Yet soon they both fell asleep, Jack protected by Riddick and the blue-silverish watchful eyes of Neunzhen, who lay awake on the chair. Two beasts protecting her was certainly better than one.


	14. Chapter 14

**Beastly Bonds**

**Chapter XIV**

**Thanks to these reviewers:**

**Iridescent Twilight – yeah, AC is essential in my life. I keep it on even in the winter, I just have to be kept at a certain temperature. Too hot and I am some crazy biatch of doom. Not kidding.**

**That's my favourite line of the chapter by the way. Glad you like it too. Suppose I should make a Krent/Meth chapter or something.**

**ren3017 – really, I had a great time ghosting that fence, so well you put it. More dedication, check out small blog thingy below.**

**audran – this chapter deals with the Neunzhen/Riddick issues, thanks for reviewing. Yay for confused room mates! Always a fun past-time. **

**Note: Hey, kids, its about 4.10 AM. What the fuck am I doing up now you ask? Just got home from two hour ferry ride and some four hour drive. And because I just have to have you guys be happy 24/7, I pulled out Farfarello (name of my laptop) on the ferry and finished this chapter. And it's a damn long one too, so I expect nice reviews. Not that you guys don't give nice reviews. You really do inspire me to continue my stuff. **

**Oh. **

**QUESTION: Do you guys want a Meth/Krent chapter? There will be a Jack/Riddick chapter (of course) but please add in your review whether a M/K chapter would interest you. Thanks. Story now.**

His eyes opened, blinking twice before his vision swam into focus. He could tell by the white light surrounding the room that it was daylight, but somehow right around the bed it was darker. Dark enough so he could see without pain. Sitting up, his arm stayed over Jack's body, but now he locked it to prop himself up. His back was to her as he viewed the room, picking up the scent of the hellhound that constantly prowled around the bungalows and had scratched him up twice. He wouldn't make that mistake again.

Riddick turned his head as he felt the bed shift and saw sleepy emerald orbs watching him. Of course to him it looked purple, but he knew her eyes were green. Her hand trailed down his back, resting on the bandage. With little effort she pushed herself up and hugged him from behind, resting her head on his back. Neither sensed animosity from the other, so a small conversation commenced.

"Head hurt?" she asked quietly, marveling at how smooth his skin was. To think probably the only major scars he would have would be from Neunzhen protecting her.

"No, doesn't hurt. Jack, when I said-"

"It's ok, think we both figured it out." She said, reassuring him immediately.

"Good to hear. That kitten of yours ain't so fuzzy." He commented, looking down at the good bandaging job Jack must've done on at him last night.

She laughed quietly, thinking of Neunzhen with fur.

"Nope, he isn't. Came with me from Crematoria, actually. After that shit place no one is kind and fuzzy." She spoke, breathing deeply. "I had to get out of there, Riddick. I did it, too. Has there been any news about it?"

"There was a brief thing on the news about a lack of report from the Crematoria guards and it was going to be checked out. It'll take 'em a while to figure out what happened." He said, twisting around to face her.

Her hair looked wind-blown and her skin slightly flushed with just waking up. He knew she had to get out of there, no one could really stay their entire life in a prison and stay sane.

"How'd you get out anyway?" He asked, surprising her.

"You want to know?" She asked back, somewhat confused as to why Riddick wanted to know.

"You took four men with you and a hellhound, managed to get away safely, make ID's and settle down to hid out for a while. Yeah, Jack, I think I would like to know." He listed, sounding a little sarcastic.

"Well, I want to wash up and get dressed. You should do the same then feel free to ask one of the four guys how we did it." She said, surprising him as she said 'we'. For his survival it had always been about him, alone and superior. Yet Jack was different and this he did know. She would sooner cut off her own hand then leave someone behind that mattered.

He pulled her down into his lap as she stood from the bed, ignoring her protests. Riddick knew he would never quite enough of her being near him. He felt complete with around, like a second half that if she strayed too far, he himself would start to fall apart. She seemed to sense the same thing, seeing how she loosely draped her arms around his shoulders and almost instantly relaxed in his embrace.

"This 'washing up', does it translate as 'sharing that shower'?" He asked, humor evident in his tone. She smacked his head lightly in response.

"Watching me like that was unnecessary and unneeded and you know it. No, not sharing showers." She added, seeing his face fall somewhat. "Yet."

"You can bet your shivs on it." He mumbled, helping her stand as she climbed out his lap. He stood as well, holding onto her hand. "Jack, you said we would explore today."

"And I meant it. No worries. Hey, you can swim, right?" She asked suddenly, taking him slightly by surprise.

"Yeah I can. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." She replied with a devilish smirk.

_/Oh beware the trickery of Jack./_

Releasing her hand as she tugged, he watched her walk into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. He stood completely still, just able to hear the soft sounds of clothing being taken off her body over the running of the shower. He clicked his jaw and wondered what he should do in terms of clothes. He could ask one of the other guys in the living room.

"And just as I was about to jump this monster just rose from the water, ready to snap my legs off for an afternoon snack accompanying his tea!" Tipner was in the middle of a story that he was telling mostly to Meth, who listened eagerly.

Riddick was startled to see that the four of them immediately realized his presence in the room and turned to see him standing in the doorway. Even the youngest, Meth, had sensed him. Jack must've been training them.

"May we help you?" The old man asked, his voice slightly accusatory and even sarcastic.

"Yeah, you can. I need a shirt. Pants, too." He said back evenly, not afraid of anyone in this room. But in the back of his mind that little voice spoke.

_/Careful, Riddick, if you're mean to one of her crew, she'll be on your ass. Not to mention Neunzhen will be if you piss her off, too./_

Had to play it nice then. He hated doing this.

"Please." He added.

"Don't think I've ever had the strange pleasure of a convict adding 'please' to the end of a request. Usually in my experience it ends with a weapon, whether it be a gun pointed to my head or a knife heading towards the nether regions. I must say, men who can castrate-" Tipner was cut off by Litman.

"I'm sure you know about those bungalows farther down the mountain, near the beach. Go through one of those closets, there are extra sets of clothing there."

"Thanks." Riddick said, walking towards the porch, passing Meth in the process, who was sitting on a couch. He lay a hand on the young man's head, ruffling his short hair. Riddick pretended not to notice the intense jealousy and possessiveness he sensed from Krent, who was standing not so far away.

"Sorry 'bout scaring you." He apologized, continuing his walk out the door.

Moments later Jack appeared, showered and fresh. She immediately saw how the room was quiet and unnerved. Riddick must've been through here.

"You guys alright?" She asked, fixing a strap on her pants.

"Riddick, as in the Riddick, just strolled through here, said 'please', 'thanks' and 'sorry'. I'm not sure if 'alright' is the right condition to ask about." Litman informed her, making a noticeable glance towards Meth and Krent. Meth was curled up in the older man's embrace and Jack smelled a sort of lingering fear on him. Seeing the man that had scared him just a day ago in flesh and just inches away from him must have sparked something in him. Luckily Krent was there, comforting and kind.

"I'll talk to him about that. Where did he go?" She asked, looking away from the two crew members.

"To our bungalows, needed a shirt. A shower too no doubt." Tipner replied, looking up from a book.

"Yeah, not surprised. Well he and I were going out to map out the island today. You all are now welcome to do as you wish. You're not under my control, feel free to just…wander. Thanks for sticking around, though." Jack added, pulling her hair back into a pony tail. She felt a little too lazy to braid it today.

"Why thank you, Captain Laurent." Litman said, mock saluting her.

"Just remember, when anyone else is here, we are who we are on the ID's. Krent, Meth, that goes especially for you. I'm not quite sure how they would take…incest here." She said, explaining it briefly. To her surprise Meth replied with humor.

"Of course, I mean if we were being incestuous, they'd start wondering about Litman and Tipner. That is something I'd rather not picture."

Jack laughed out loud, as did Krent. The two in question were scowling, not amused at all by the younger man's joke. As the laughter died down, Neunzhen prowled in, immediately sitting down next to Jack, who rubbed behind his ears.

"Uh, Jack?" Litman suddenly asked, making her turn to face him.

"Yeah?"

"You and Riddick…you're close, right?"

"Well, in a way I guess." She replied vaguely.

"No, I mean like close close."

"I was on an emergency skiff with him for quite a few weeks. I could say we're close." She replied, still oblivious to what she was getting at.

"No! Jack! Pay attention!" Tipner interrupted, sounding aggravated.

"What! What are you talking about, Litman?" She asked, annoyed herself.

"Fine. Let's do this the simple way. Are you having sex with him?" He asked outright, almost tripping over the couch arm when Neunzhen stood, snarling in his direction. He made a mental note to not talk about that particular relationship in front of the hellhound. Who knew they were so smart?

"No, I'm not." She replied almost as fast as Neunzhen had stood and snarled. "Doesn't mean anything, though." She added, almost taunting him.

"Great…gods…the things I don't need to know or imagine." Litman muttered, turning around and walking in the opposite direction, towards the kitchen to be exact.

"Alright, I'm going down to see Riddick. You guys play nice while I'm not around, alright?" She said, kind of mocking them as she went back to her bedroom to climb down the ladder to the rain forest floor.

Neunzhen followed her, using the method of descent they had used before. But Jack took the ladder, not worried about some stalker who would be trying to get into her personal effects. As she landed on the soft ground, she took time to look around. The huge trees that towered above the clouds in her imagination, their huge branches that only grew from the top, creating gentle shade. Smaller trees grew into them, green leaves fanning those who passed as they were waved back and forth in the wind. Small lizards paused on a large piece of the bark, whistling away when she approached.

Jack looked up when she heard the flapping of wings, smiling to see two blue macaws easily gliding in between and around the thick trunks. Their blue plumage added a splash of sapphire against all the different shades of jade that made up the tropical island. As they flew out of sight, she was greeted by a small family of what she was told were spider monkeys. Their white faces peered down at her from the large branches above. They curiously chattered over her head as she continued to walk down the mountain, following her for a few minutes before they found something else to be enchanted by. Neunzhen lazily wandered in front of her, the relaxation in his body clear.

Soon she walked out from the forest and into the clearing that led to the bungalows. Jack wished she could kick off her boots and just walk in the sand, but decided she should wait. Soon the bungalows came into view and she saw the steam of the shower still wafting out of small housing structure. Jack had no reason to bother him or wait for him in the living room, so she passed by the bungalow straight towards the beach. The clear blue waters greeted her, the gentle waves almost making no sound as they washed up the beach.

Finding a spot not too close to the water, she sat down, her knees propped up in front of her. She used them to hold up her arms, linking them together with her hands in the front. The small wind off the waves blew the stray strands of hair around her face, but Jack didn't mind, considering her thoughts were elsewhere.

_Riddick and I are together, in a sort of paradise. All along, haven't I really been waiting for this and not the chance to wreck revenge on him? Sure he left, but he's here now, so there isn't a point in wasting the time. I mean, some fucked lucky merc is going to track him or us soon._

This was how Riddick found Jack, comfortably sitting on the sand, facing the water. She didn't move when he approached, but he bet that somehow her subconscious knew he wasn't a threat so she wasn't consciously alarmed by his presence.

"Hey, Jack." He called, making her glance at him, turning half way around.

_/God damn it, there should be some universal law against looking that beautiful. At least I don't have competition./ _

He knew this well enough from just seeing Krent and Meth together and knowing that Jack showed no interest at all in either Litman or Tipner. He shuddered mentally at that thought, but reassured himself that she wouldn't go after Litman because he knew that there was only so much asshole behavior she could tolerate.

"See you're showered. Stitches ok?" She asked, looking up at him as he sat down next to her.

He nodded while trying to get comfortable.

"Good to hear it." She said, smirking. She was looking out at the water again when she said that.

_/No profile should look that good. Sure mine was for prison, but all the same./_

"Very funny. So, what's this whole idea for exploring?" He asked, motioning towards the water.

"I meant the forest, but sure. Wanna sit one more minute though." She added, glancing at him again. He was wearing his goggles. For once she wished that he didn't need them and he could see colour. Maybe she could ask Tipner about that.

He didn't reply but she knew he had heard. Jack rested her head on his arm, nuzzling it slightly. She really was one for animal-like affection. Didn't bother him, though.

Soon enough Jack yawned and stood up, offering a hand to him even though he didn't need it. He thanked her all the same as he stood, stretching out a few cricks in his neck. He followed her along the beach, trying not to watch her body easily walk through the sand. To him she was simply made to be in natural wilderness like this, always adapting to her environment.

_/But doesn't mean she can do it alone./_

Riddick shook that thought from his head, wondering where the hell it came from. Probably had some truth but he was too busy admiring Jack's backside.

"C'mon, into the forest." She said, not bothered by Neunzhen suddenly stepping out of the forest. He had wandered off before she had come to beach and she simply figured he had just wanted to explore. But Riddick stopped, this was the protector of Jack, almost like a father who refused to have anyone touch his daughter.

"Jack. Your hellhound-"

"Whose name is Neunzhen."

"Right, all the same we need to work some shit out. Twice he has taken a successful swipe at me and I don't want it to happen again." He explained, seeing Jack's calm face stay just that. He never ceased to surprise him.

"Neunzhen. You heard him." Jack said, sounding a little like a mother chastising her child for not understand what was being said.

The hellhound approached him, arrogantly confident in his walk, stopping in front of Riddick. Yet Riddick still couldn't 'talk' to him, seeing how if he took off his goggles the light could blind him. Riddick walked into the nearby forest, looking for a dark area. Neunzhen walked beside him and he knew Jack was lingering behind, knowing it wasn't her place.

He stopped in a small clearing, where the branches on both the tall trees and the shorter ones made a darkness that served its purpose well enough. Riddick removed his goggles and kneeled, looking directly into Neunzhen's eyes. The hellhound and he stayed like that for endless minutes, each trying to intimidate the other through staring. When Neunzhen growled, Riddick growled right back, not afraid of angering the animal. Jack wasn't far off and if worse came to worse, she could call Neunzhen off. Yet finally a sort of balance was reached and Neunzhen blinked, bowing his head slightly. Riddick did the same, not filled with a victorious feeling but with one that was somehow more important, one that was better. It seemed that they had come to an agreement of sorts, to protect Jack and yet Neunzhen would let Riddick be close to her. Riddick assumed within reason could he do this, but with a little work and bonding, he was sure he could push the limits the hellhound had mentally set.

"Ready yet?" A voice called from a tree, maybe four yards away. Riddick looked up to see Jack, who was illuminated by the gentle light that came down in rays around her. She would always be beautiful to him.

"I would say so. So, what's this about exploring?" Riddick asked, watching Jack easily leap from the tree branch, landing lightly on her feet. She walked towards him, a smile lighting her face.

"Mapping out the island. You're ok without your goggles?" She asked, sounding concerned.

"Unfortunately, no, I'm not. But we'll see. Let's go." He gestured forward. Jack took lead, Riddick following and Neunzhen crossing through their trail, often absent from their sight for five or ten minutes.

Riddick saw the same animals and trees that Jack had seen when she was coming down the mountain and although he could tell by the degree of purple what colour it should be, he let her describe it to him. He had to admit, her detailed descriptions of each animal or plant really did give him the proper image in his mind, in complete colour.

The day passed quickly and Neunzhen had found some edible fruit and led them to it for a sort of lunch snack. They ate it while sitting on a branch, looking out into the forest. Jack had been on a few small vacations as a child but had never really had one like this.

_And I'm not about to ask if Riddick had been on any vacations. Not with his lifestyle, I'm sure._

"Jack, you said you had family." He brought it up after they had finished eating. She was quiet for a moment, looking thoughtfully out into the distance.

"Emphasis on had. Want to know about it?" She asked, sounding alright with it. He wanted to make sure she had truly come to terms with it. It seemed that she had but he had other questions.

"Not yet. First, escape from Crematoria." He reminded her, making her grin suddenly.

"Sounds like a bad flick from the late 1900's." She mused, tightening her ponytail. "Well, I guess it started with this one asshole prisoner. I mean a serious inmate who was going to cause trouble if we didn't get rid of him. And trust me, we did." She paused, looking at Neunzhen who was sunning himself on another branch.

So she went through the story, often diving into more accurate and detailed moments that had excited her the most. Riddick listened carefully, mentally comparing it to his escape from prison. She had used the hellhounds against the guards, something old and often successful. Use what they least expect.

"And I was going to be skullfucked if I didn't make it out of those shipping lanes, Riddick. I don't think I slept at all until I knew Caribi was in sight." She ended, looking very happy and victorious.

"Proud of you, Jack. Breaking out of prison isn't easy." He added, sounding like a very proud father. He was quite impressed with her feat, even dragging along four men who never seemed could quite learn to get along with each other. Jack had also included the progressing relationship between Krent and Meth.

When Riddick had been in various prisons, including Butcher's Bay, sexual relationships between men weren't unusual, not by a long shot. His primary concern had been survival, so whatever sex drive he had had was put to sleep for the time being. He had seen very painful moments between lovers as they were torn apart, always by death. He had never understood how they could just throw all caution to the wind and emotionalize their relationship. It was very dangerous in his mind, but he supposed that at some point you just had to live like that, knowing you would never get out of prison.

Riddick turned his mind back to the present, hearing different creatures around him stirring to life. Must mean dusk was close by, having a new set of animals hunting and surviving at night. For some, he knew, it was safer that way. For him night was his strongest ally, darkness giving him his unbeatable advantage. Vision in darkness was never a bad thing.


	15. Chapter 15

**Beastly Bonds**

**Chapter XV**

**Thanks to these reviewers, actually, single reviewer:**

**And as such, this chapter has been written entirely because of you and for you. Officialness:**

**Chapter XV of Beastly Bonds is dedicated to Iridescent Twilight, a faithful reader and reviewer. Your long and informative reviews have really been part of the driving force behind this story. Thanks for your reviews, makes my icy black heart melt with glee. **

**Iridescent Twilight – **Lack of R/J can be such a nasty thing, a really cruel tool for us writers to use. No, the ride wasn't fun, I actually growled at maybe…eight (at the least) people who got within a foot of me. Yes, I'm exhausted but I felt like I had to write.

This chapter consists mostly of R/J and Krent/Meth. Really, that's about the entire chapter, I think.

**IMPORTANT: I will _not_ be writing or posting from August 21st through August 31st. I'm going to be in Europe, Italy specifically for those ten days. So those ten days ideas for stories will claw at me for writing and when I return, expect story updates and the like. Doesn't mean you guys shouldn't review though, I'll be checking my mail, mind you.**

**Story!**

They had successfully mapped out the small island, burying electrical tracers in different parts. Jack said she would find their signal on her laptop and map it out with that, then trace it onto an aerial view of the island. Both were well-worn by the end of the day, evening coming as a blessing to Riddick especially.

Jack tried not to show how happy she was that the entire day he had managed to keep his goggles off and now that the sun was setting, they could walk out onto the beach in open air. Neunzhen had been following them on and off but right now he didn't stray far from Jack, sensing an intensified feeling of attraction towards Jack from Riddick.

"Hungry?" she asked suddenly, not facing him.

"No. Well I could always eat something but I'm good." He added, making Jack laugh.

"Who knew Richard B. Riddick had an endless appetite? You'll get a good dinner." She mocked, turning her head over her should and giving him a small smile.

_/Jackie, watch it./_

"Must mean you're not making it." He retorted, ducking as she kicked up a rock behind her, aimed right for his head. "Got quite the kick there, Jack."

"Not much else to do in Crematoria. Well, I'm hungry so you can go get food." She decided stopping in the sand. They were about two yards away from the water's edge, the soft sounds of the waves calming him somewhat.

"You're hungry, you get it." He argued. He raised an eyebrow as she kicked off her boots, not bothering to actually properly set them down.

"You've been stalking me for the past few weeks, months even. You get the food. Bungalows aren't that far, anyway. Besides, I want to swim for a bit, so you go." She added a small pout, barely noticeable.

Riddick didn't budge.

"Neunzhen's hungry, too." She said, Riddick immediately getting the under current of that.

"That's low, Jack. Threatening to sick your hellhound on me if I don't get you food. Really that's just…" he trailed off, suddenly preoccupied by Jack carelessly taking off her shirt, tossing it in the general direction of her boots. She was starting to undo her pants as she looked up, just realizing he had stopped talking.

"You alright?" She asked, leaving the top of her pants undone as she approached him. He knew she was just concerned, but the close proximity of her half-naked body made him want to think otherwise.

"Yeah, fine. Go swimming, I'll get something." He replied tersely, turning on his heel. He sensed confusion behind him, but kept walking.

He stopped as he reached the path to the bungalows, looking back to see Jack toeing her pants into her pile of clothing. She wore a sort of bikini, but it seemed stronger then those skimpy pieces of cloth that the whorish models wore. He had never really been attracted by that type of woman, seeing how he had issues with women who had no respect for themselves.

He felt a strike of knowing pride as Jack turned, putting up her hair, showing on the other side that she had had a bone shiv tucked between the waistband and her skin. Now if this wasn't a turn on for him, he wasn't sure was at that point. He felt his leg being butted by Neunzhen's head and he started his walk back to the bungalows.

------

Litman and Tipner had left to explore or do what they wanted, leaving Meth and Krent behind in Jack's tree house. Meth was reluctant to let Krent up so he could make some dinner, but just snuggled into the warmth of the couch Krent's body had left. He watched the older ex-convict move around the kitchen, which was a bungalow away but he could still see him preparing a small something.

"Hey, Meth. Want something to drink?" His voice yelled from the kitchen. Smirking, Meth stood and walked across the ramp and into the kitchen.

"Yeah, I would. No need to shout, you know." He added, perching himself on a stool. They were on opposite sides of the counter and Meth watched Krent's hand closely, amazed at their dexterity.

"Didn't know if you could hear me." He replied, easily cutting the sandwich in half on the plate. Krent shoved the plate across the counter and Meth stopped it with his hand.

"What I would give to be that sandwich." Meth quietly mumbled as he took a bite of it.

"What?"

"Nothing." He replied, his mouth full of bread.

"Seriously, what did you say?" Krent asked, thinking he had heard him properly but wasn't too sure.

"Rvat wohlvd gerfnbn dasmvaich." He said, this time talking with his mouth full. He tried not to laugh as Krent raised an eyebrow, looking very amused but still quite confused.

"Sorry, I didn't think that was English." He commented, shaking out his hands from washing them in the sink. Wiping them on his pants he walked around the counter and behind Meth, resting his arms crossed across Meth's chest. He leaned down and nipped at his ear, making him give a quiet strangled mew of pleasure.

"Now," Krent spoke, moving down his neck, "let's try this again. What did you say?"

Meth took a sip of his drink, tasting it wash out the after flavour of the sandwich he had just eaten. Instead of replying, he spun around on his stool, facing Krent. His legs went around Krent's, his feet folding back in again, having the top of each foot against the older man's shins. Sliding his hands up the taller man's chest, Meth tried not show he was nervous or inexperienced, but he bet Krent could smell it miles away.

His hands reached the back of Krent's neck and looking up, he was met with patient, understanding and eager blue eyes. Summoning up every last wisp of bravery he had left, Meth pulled Krent's head down, kissing him cautiously.

He didn't need to doubt any active response when he felt himself being pulled up and out of the chair and onto the counter. He briefly thought of the other counter experience he had just had a while ago but shook it away, wanting to remember and focus on the present.

Meth barely had time to wonder how and why Krent seemed so experienced, but to him that really didn't matter at the moment. Right now he just wanted to be as humanly close to the other man as possible. In the brief span of time that they were kissing, Krent had somehow climbed on top of the counter, his knees on both sides of Meth's legs, which dangled over the edge. Finally in need of air, he pulled back, bringing his knees up to the level of Meth's waist, letting him sit back.

"And you said…" he asked, slightly breathless. The sight of Meth just sprawled out over the counter had him more occupied at the moment, but he was still curious.

"Doesn't matter now, but I said 'what would I give to be that sandwich'. I think," he gasped as Krent dipped his head down and began to bite and kiss his collarbone. "I'm better off then the sandwich now, though."

In a non offensive way of silencing, Krent kissed Meth again, effectively keeping him from talking. Soon the younger man's attention was turned back to kissing him senseless and the only noises that could be heard were of indefinite pleasure.

-----

Riddick was speechless at the sight that greeted him.

As he had first walked onto the beach, Jack had been underwater but soon she rose for air. The descriptions he could have given were endless, but for some reason his usual thought processes had grinded and shrieked to a complete halt and shutdown.

Each drop of water shimmered as it slid down her body, lighting her up even more. The gentle light reflected from the water wasn't painful to his eyes, but more lit Jack up, giving her a slightly ethereal glow. Her toned body only amplified this, giving the water curves to stream down on. She had raised her arms above her head, running her hands through her hair, trying to rake it back if just for a moment. Jack's eyes were closed, as if enjoying the moment, not wanting to overdo it by adding sight. Her lips were parted, taking large breathes, which made her body rise and fall, speeding the water droplets down her body. She turned in the water and he saw how the bone shiv almost reflected the light painfully, the water making it much brighter. Yet the entire scene was perfect, a beautiful woman kept safe by her need for survival. Riddick barely noticed her ears twitch back, hearing him breathe just some thirty feet away.

Her eyes opened and a smile graced her usually unemotional face. Jack waved at him before doing a small jump dive back into the water.

At that moment he wasn't sure who needed more air, he or Jack. Dropping the parcel of food on her pile of clothes, he walked to the water's edge and watched her form move beneath the water. She rose up again and Riddick knew he just had to there with her. It felt like part of his beast within was writhing in indescribable pain when he saw her like this and wasn't right next to her.

"Coming in?" She asked, dipping beneath the water's surface for a second. "Water's fine."

"Doesn't look you're giving me a choice, Jack." He replied sarcastically, stepping back a few feet to take off his boots. She understood what he really meant and he could've sworn she giggled.

_Well, I guess not. Not my fault I'm this sexy. Good looking or whatever it is that attracts him like that._

_/To think it's the kid I left behind on Helion that does this to me. Better someone I know and trust than some random woman./_

"Hey, Riddick, you think you'll be alright with the stitches?" She called out from the water, floating on her back. He couldn't of cared less about the stitches at this point.

"Well, worse comes to worse, I know you'll be on hand, needle and thread ready." He replied, realizing he was simply complimenting her just so he could see her smile, laugh or just give thanks through her eyes.

She almost felt guilty as she saw the stitched claw marks on his arm and torso, but to her surprise she saw a few other white scars.

_Every god has their battle scars._

Jack waited patiently as he slowly approached the water, as if suspicious of it. He had left his pants on, knowing that there would be some issues if he had taken them off. Quite a few issues seeing how Jack just slipped through the water like a mermaid sans fish scales.

The water was warm so he just walked in to his waist, starting to think that swimming around wouldn't be the best thing for that slash in his side. He briefly submerged himself beneath the surface, feeling the breeze cool him off as he stood again. He check to see if the stitches were still intact and he wasn't bleeding, but all concerns were washed away with the next wave as Jack soundlessly swam up to him. What he had been expecting next was a mockery or taunt, but certainly not what she did.

She propelled herself out of the water, rising with a small splash as she moved towards him. It was like this was natural, the way he locked his elbows as she gripped his arms to push herself up. Her wet body easily slid up his as she soundly kissed him, not caring what he thought. He moved his arms to wrap around her body and she easily worked with it, snaking her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. When they broke apart for air, they were caught by each other's eyes, not daring to move apart from their bodies needing to reregulate a breathing pattern.

"Jacqueline," he whispered, just as breathless as she.

"Hm?" She hummed, the warm sound vibrating into his body.

"Breathing?" He asked, readjusting his arms around her. "Normally?"

She nodded in reply, barely able to say half a word as he pulled her beneath the water, kissing her at the same time. Beneath the water their movements were smooth and slow, Jack's legs no longer wrapped around his waist but bumping against his as they lazily swam together. Yet their arms stayed around each other, Jack on the bottom and Riddick on top, kissing her thoroughly.

Finally they needed air and they rose to the surface, breaking it with almost no noise. Jack's hand rested on Riddick's heaving chest, his arms still around her torso. It took a few minutes before they were breathing again and Jack had closed her eyes. Riddick slid a hand up her back, holding her neck as he leaned down, kissing the top of her head.

Words weren't needed when they decided to go down again, this time just swimming near each other. Riddick swam above Jack, one hand trailing up and down her back as they moved through the water. At a point he decided it was getting too dark and it wouldn't be safe. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her back towards the shore. In minutes they walked up from the waves, still gently breaking onto the soft sand.

Neunzhen greeted Jack with a lick to her hand and she rubbed his closest ear in thanks. She approached Riddick, whose back was facing her. Placing her hand on the small of his back, she rested her head on his shoulder blade.

"Riddick?" She asked, sounding suddenly wary.

_Moment of truth._

_/Shit./_

"Yeah?"

She walked around him and faced him, blinking slowly. Jack hoped it wasn't tears she was trying to block.

"Is this what you want?" She asked, looking dead serious. "Riddick, I've lost my father and I have never gotten to see my brother, I don't even know if he or my mother is alive. I will stop myself if you say or even hint that this isn't going to be for real. I'm strong, Riddick, but not that strong."

_/Takes guts to say that./_

_Please don't leave me._

_/Think fast, you're hurting her by staying silent. Remember how solitary drove you mad, it's breaking her./_

_He's thinking about it, about rejecting me. He doesn't want this, but I asked and that's what's important, right? Fuck, I should start the system checks on the ship after I get dressed. The guys will understand, I'll just get up and go, find Imam, maybe look for Mom. _Her thoughts were going a mile per second, trying to outweigh the pain the rejection she thought Riddick was going to give to her with the bright possibility of her mom still being alive.

_/I want this, I want her. Just fucking say it/_

He cursed whatever was in him that wouldn't let him speak, so he stepped up to her and embraced her, holding her to him tightly.

"Jack," he said after a few minutes. "You are that strong, you just can't harness it without someone else."

"You mean, without you." She felt an oncoming shudder of deep sadness and pain.

"You will be. We will be stronger," he whispered into her hair, feeling her relax with relief. "I won't leave you, more accurately," he looked down at her and wiped a tear from her face with his thumb. "I can't leave you."

------

Krent watched Meth sleep, his pale chest rising and falling with each breath. He had never dreamed it would happen so fast, but the passion he had felt and he knew Meth had felt, all preconceived notions of patience just disappeared. His eyelids fluttered and awoke, as if knowing that his lover wasn't sleeping as well.

"Are you…ok?" He asked quietly, facing him. Instead of responding he lifted his hand and gently combed his fingers through Meth's hair.

Content with this affection, Meth snuggled up against Krent, who lay down on his back, letting the younger man rest his head on his chest. They lay awake, comfortable with each other's company, not ever wanting to let go.

"I'm fine, Meth…and you, you're alright? With this? With what just-" he was cut off by a whispered hush.

"I have never been better."

Krent turned over and held Meth to his body, burying his face in the younger man's head, taking deep breaths of his scent. As he pushed himself back, still holding Meth to him, the smell of sex briefly interrupted his pleasure. Second-long flashbacks of the intense passion they had just gone through together played out when he closed his eyes. Breathing sharply, he caught the attention of the younger man who turned onto his stomach and worriedly watched him.

"Tell me the truth, are you really alright? You're not sick or anything, are you? Should I get Tipner?" His voice rang true and clear with worry and love, making Krent relax again, knowing he wasn't hurting Meth.

"Just a little tired. No, last thing we want here is Tipner. It's not Tipner himself, just that Litman won't be too keen on sitting in the bungalow alone." He explained, feeling Meth grin.

"But, do you need him later? Are you hurt?" Worry still evident.

"No, I'm fine. We should try to rest." He added, looking down to see Meth inching his way up towards him. Finally they rest together, the two prison-scarred naked bodies coming into contact in every possible place. Krent trailed his hand down Meth's side, stopping at the scars created by the hellhound that had bitten him in Crematoria. The younger man shivered at the feather-light touch on his scars and snuggled back into Krent's chest. As they fell asleep the older ex-convict silently swore to himself that never again would Meth fall victim to a predator like that. Not while he was still alive.


	16. Chapter 16

**Beastly Bonds**

**Chapter XVI**

**All Readers Please Read This: As all of you faithful reviewers know, I'm going to be absent from my laptop for ten days starting this Sunday. As such, I feel compelled to finish "Beastly Bonds" before I leave. I decided a while ago this story would be nineteen chapters long, no more, no less. I don't want to hear fuss about this. **

**Thanks to these reviewers:**

**Iridescent Twilight – **Although you're 'late' as you so kindly put it, you're still the first reviewer. It amuses me slightly to know that you were antsy for a computer. I've been in the same spot, so I know how you feel. I mean, but hey, if that sandwich scene was with Riddick, wouldn't we **_all_** want to be his sandwich? God, that sounds so kinky.

**whitelite – **It's true, I spoil the readers horribly.

**sara – **I'm really amazed about how many reviewers of this story started the first few chapter reviews saying they really liked this independent Jack. I'm so…happy to know I hit that aspect of her character well. Aie, Mary-Sue, how I fear/hate thee.

**crematoriacon - **I feel foolish for asking, but what does WTG mean? I'm familiar with WTF, but with my not-so-clean mouth, that is pretty common. Thanks for reviewing. Erm, I noticed that you haven't written anything, will you?

**ren3017 – **I haven't left yet! Need to give all you faithful reviewers your R/J fix.

**Story!**

He woke to someone kissing him and by the now-familiar taste, he didn't need to smell or see her to know it was Jack. All the same his silver eyes flickered open to see her straddling him stomach, leaning down to kiss him again. Awake, he responded, bringing up his hands to hold her head close to his. Her hair fell around him, the silky strands tickling his chest.

"I could wake up this way for the rest of my life." He spoke softly, kissing her lightly again.

"As could I." She responded, sitting back on her heels.

Somehow they had made it back to her bungalow and even into her bed, not bothering to check if anyone was still in the living room.

Riddick, more importantly, his beast, reveled and was honored by the fact that he had been her first. And it would stay that way, this he knew well.

He was distracted from his thoughts as Jack slid off him, curling up against his side. Her hand gently traced around the stitched slashes, silently amazed that they had lasted the night. Jack felt him nuzzle the top of her head and she looked up only to be lip locked into another passionate kiss.

"Jack, can you tell me? About your family?" He asked, his gravelly voice curious, not jealous about the attention she had been focusing on them earlier.

"Why?" She replied, not offended.

"I could say to know what sort of expectations your father had for your future…"

"Lover." She put in, face straight and calm.

"But in I would just like to know." He continued, trying to block out the victorious howl that his inner beast had sounded at the one word she had supplied seconds before. Riddick let her stay silent, he could only guess she was relapsing into a family memory he must've sparked. He held her closer and waited patiently, knowing that coming to terms with lost loved ones was never easy.

_"Dad! Dad! You'll never guess!" Jack excitedly spoke to her father over the phone, seeing her mother standing in the doorway of the bathroom, a smile on her face._

_"What is it?" He asked, his voice genuinely curious. _

_"It's mom!" She replied, not expecting his reaction. Her trained ears heard something clutter and break on the other end and her father's breathing become slightly unsteady. _

_"Is she alright? What happened?" His voice revealed everything. _

_"She said I'm going to have a baby brother! How cool is that!" She felt better when she heard her father chuckle then laugh on the other end._

_"That's amazing, Jackie. Can you put her on the phone?" He sounded very relieved and happy. Jack handed the phone to her mother, whose graceful movements and hands took it from her, bringing it up to her ear. _

_Jack didn't miss the way she held her stomach as she talked to her father on the phone, at one point shooing her off to do her homework. She figured they were going to talk about all that romance stuff that she had no interest in. At all. _

Jack sighed, still unaware that she had yet to answer the question as she slipped into another memory, snuggling closer to Riddick. This one was farther back, back when her mother hadn't been so calm and at ease. Back when her father was in the war.

_"Mom, you ok?" A much younger and much sleepier Jack stood in the doorway of the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. It was late at night but she had seen the lights from downstairs and went to investigate. _

_She had found her mother sitting on one of the stools at the counter, her healthy skin unusually pale and her eyes red with dried tears. Over the last few weeks her eyes had lost their spark, her hair lost its shine and even her voice was dull to Jack's ears. _

_"Mom?" She asked again, making her mother look at her._

_She had always known her daughter Jacqueline would be beautiful, seeing how she was almost exactly like herself in her younger years. So in essence a small version of herself stood in the doorway, the oversized long-sleeved t-shirt her father had left from her hanging off one shoulder. The sleeves that were too long cloaked her hands, hanging off in extra lengths of cloth as she moved them. A pair of gym shorts finished the outfit, making her look like a daughter of a professional athlete who had 'borrowed' his clothes. _

_"Jackie, did you have trouble sleeping?" She slipped off the stool and knelt down, opening her arms to her only child. Jack trotted over to her, snuggling into her mother's embrace. _

_"No, but you do. Why can't you sleep?" She asked, pulling back. Her mother weakly smiled at her, exhaustion clear in her features. _

_"I guess I have trouble sleeping." She replied._

_"Nightmares?" Jack pushed, knowing sometimes that nightmares could keep her up. _

_Her mother wanted to reply with 'if you only knew the nightmares I have', but she didn't, knowing it would upset Jack. Instead she said that she just couldn't sleep without her father nearby. Which was half the truth. _

_Moments of comfortable silence passed and her mother stood and went to the glass windows, opening one and relaxing slightly in the breeze. It was early morning, maybe two or three A.M., making the neighborhood quiet and serene to watch and listen to. Yet the peaceful silence was broken by the kitchen phone ringing. Her mother's heart froze, could it be that call she had dreaded since she saw him off? She held her breath as the phone continued to ring, Jack just being able to reach it on the wall. She got it down and put it to her ear._

_"'alo?" Her sleepy voice spoke. Suddenly her eyes cleared as she heard the voice on the other end, but Jack's mother didn't see that. She almost collapsed in relief when she heard what her daughter said next. _

_"Daddy! I miss you!" She said, holding the phone tighter. Jack's mother approached her, tears stinging her eyes. Every phone call was painful for her, not knowing if he would be able to call the next time. _

_"Uh-huh, I've been good. Dad. But there's this kid in school who is being a real bully. No matter what the teachers tell you dad, don't believe 'em." She added, hearing a tired chuckle on the other end. _

_"Yep, ok. Goodnight Daddy. I'll go to sleep, promise. Hey, here's mom." She said, handing the phone to her mother. She immediately went back out and up the stairs, even though she had seen the tears in her mother's eyes, she knew she needed the few minutes alone with him. Even if it was on the phone. _

_Jack stood on the top of the stairs for a moment, clenching her jaw when she heard her mother begin to quietly sob. She sat down on the top step, just able to make out the kind and gentle reassurances her father gave over the phone. Soon the sniffling stopped and her mother bid her father goodbye, always ending the conversation by saying, 'Godspeed.' _

When she began to talk, her voice seemed relaxed, as if speaking from a memory, not actually her real voice. Riddick stroked her hair, wondering while he listened how the hell Neunzhen hadn't come in and tried to rip his throat out yet.

"Just me, my dad and mom. My full name, Jacqueline Laurent, chosen by my dad. My mom stayed at home, but she translated old transcripts that museums brought to her from all these different systems. My dad was in the army-"

"High Commander Laurent?"

"Well, last name is obvious but how did you know?" She asked, curious. Did everyone know about her father? Surely Riddick hadn't served with him.

"Probably the one man in the universe who did not advocate or condone the way in which high-security prisoners, like Tipner, were transported. Saw him once, on the way to my first slam. He personally boarded the merc ship I was on and almost verbally beat the shit out of each and every one of them. Probably because I was younger, so he took more sympathy, but all the same." He explained, looking up at the ceiling.

"You know about Tipner? Like, pre-Crematoria Tipner?" She asked, now completely off topic.

"Met him in Butcher's Bay."

"Woah, he was in Butcher's Bay the same time as you? But you escaped-"

"This was pre-Riddick, the most-hunted man in the universe. You wouldn't believe it but ask Tipner, I was related to the boss who ran Butcher's Bay." He smiled down at Jack's amazed snort.

"Somehow in your twisted life, I can believe that. So, still interested in the Laurent family?" She asked, making a mental note to go after Tipner later for details of a younger Riddick.

"Fire away." He replied, closing his eyes briefly.

_/Just thought that 'Laurent' was a fake I.D. name, never knew she was actually related to the High Commander Laurent./_

"Dad was in the army, wars to be specific. Time goes by, I grow up, dad comes back, I find out I'm about to be an older sister. Then it happened." She related the fateful night that changed her life.

When she finished, she sat up, her bare back facing Riddick. He saw her roughly wipe at her eyes and pulled himself up, ignoring the pain in his side and arm. He kissed the back of her neck as he gathered her in his arms, thankful she didn't resist but instead turned and buried her face in his neck.

"It's ok, Jack, I've got you." He comforted her best he could, remembering those were the three of the first four words he had spoken to her.

"Wake up! Wake up!" Litman shook Tipner awake, shaking him hard enough to rattle his brains and upon focusing on this feeling, Tipner smacked him hard across the head.

"Is there _anything_ this important?" He crossly yelled, his blind eye glaring just as hard as his other.

"No, but I didn't want to go exploring off island by myself, so I woke you up." He explained, not sounding at all apologetic.

"You didn't want to go…by yourself…" Tipner was muttering darkly, never a good sign. "And pray tell, _why_ didn't you get Krent and Meth to go with you?"

Litman just gave him a you-shouldn't-be-asking-that-question look and Tipner suddenly 'ah'd' and nodded. Of course, that would be slightly awkward for the new couple to be out and about but not be able to really touch each other. Not only that but Litman would feel obliged to let them be by themselves, leaving him alone. He wasn't even going to think about asking why he didn't go ask Jack. He didn't want to imagine what Riddick would do he if he interrupted something.

"So, will you?" Litman pressed, looking like an eager and slightly annoying young child.

"Yes, yes, fine. Maybe I can even find some more books." He added, feeling slightly hopeful. Litman immediately remembered something that he had hidden for perfect usage like this.

"I asked Tom about places to go shopping, you know, and he said there was a library of sorts on another archipelago. We could plan it out today and head out tomorrow." He felt strangely better when a smile cracked the old man's wrinkled face. Like he had just done a good thing to make his father happy, but Litman's thoughts turned dark at the thought of his father. The man who had put him off touching anyone for as long as humanly possible.

"Indeed, undoubtedly Jack might want us to pick something up. Perhaps we could call a sort of meeting. Later that is, once I can safely assume that Riddick and Jack have…settled in." he chose his words wisely.

"Good idea. So…Tipner, you gonna stay here? You know, after the hiding period?" He asked, changing the subject. Seeing how the older man wasn't going to sleep, he figured he could at least keep up a conversation.

"I don't know, actually. The thought of dying here is quite appealing, though, and I don't have a long lost relative to go searching for, so it's possible." He spoke calmly and casually about his death, shocking Litman.

"Dying! You're basing the choice off of where you want to die?" He asked, sounding outraged.

"Come now, Litman, you don't honestly believe that I have much time left. I'm old, Litman. Old people simply don't survive very well in this day and age. Please settle down. What are you going to do?" He asked, seeing the other man's face change with thought.

"I'll probably leave. Maybe even get an early shuttle out, I'll see when we go exploring tomorrow about a port or something. There are places I'd like to see myself before I go out. And I plan to do so with a bang." He added, laughing himself once Tipner barked a sort of half-laugh.

"And how do you propose on 'going out with a bang', hm?" Tipner asked, a grin still pulling at his face.

"Not sure. Maybe settle down, get married, have kids or some weird shit like that." He sounded confused, as if this was an idea he had never breached before.

"Having children isn't 'weird shit', Litman, you just aren't accustomed to thinking like that. For us, it's never been top priority to keep the family genes going for generations, it's been survival. Now that we can survive without having to stab someone every other week, you can start considering those options. I'm sure your offspring…spawn…would be absolutely…delightful." He muttered 'spawn', but Litman still heard it.

"Good to know you care. If you're still kicking when I do have kids, might drop 'em off here to have you babysit them, Grandpa Tipner." He replied, smiling.

"Babysit? Me? And do what, watch them drown themselves in the ocean? By the time a woman even considers settling down with you I'll be dead by at least a century. What good is a corpse watching children, eh?" He retorted, making Litman shout an insulted cry.

"Pre-Crematoria, I was a chick magnet!" He argued, making Tipner laugh even harder.

"You? A chick magnet? Really, the only things that would've gravitated towards you would be bad luck and if you had the money, prostitutes. Not to mention a whole curseful of bad attitudes, poor language and no charm whatsoever." He bit back. There was no out-insulting Tipner, not even on a good day.

Hours passed, evening crept from behind the thick tree trunks and rose in winds off the ocean breeze. She breathed deeply, the salty air tingling her nerves, but not in a painful way, not at all. Standing alone on the deck, she tugged the thin blanket around her tighter.

It didn't bother Jack that she was naked underneath the blanket, most likely because the only other person in the bungalows was Riddick. And it wasn't like he hadn't seen all of it, not to mention mark it. She smiled softly at this, breathing in deeply.

She closed her eyes and she sensed and felt his presence behind her, approaching with care and respect. Warm arms wrapped around her completely, pulling her back into his chest, his steady heart beat putting her at ease. From the way he had walked, she could tell he was half dressed, wearing the now-dry pants from the beach.

_Would rather have him otherwise and in a bed, but he's here, with me. Don't think I would ever want it otherwise._

"Feeling alright, Jacqueline?" His voice rumbled through her, waking the dormant butterflies in her. Matters weren't helped when he used her full name, the way it calmed her and excited her, like the reassurance of distant thunder.

"Hmm. Little sore." She spoke softly, resting her head on his chest, lowering one hand from its grasp on the blanket to cover his, tracing designs on his skin.

"Well if you keep _working_ at it and get used to it enough, the soreness won't be bothering you." She couldn't resist a small laugh at this, especially the way he emphasized it.

"But I certainly can't do it alone, now can I? Might need a personal trainer." Her voice sent bolts of shock down his spine, making him almost purr as she turned around and leaned into him, trailing one finger down his bare chest.

"At this rate, you're going to need a tamer, Jack, not a trainer. After last night, I'm pretty damn sure you don't need to be trained in that…department." She laughed this, quieting quickly as she happily lay her head on his chest, watching the far off water.

Jack tensed when she felt one of his arms leave its grasp but heard him taking off his goggles, so she relaxed again. The goggles safely tucked away, he returned to holding her to him. Closing her eyes again, she let go of the blanket, but it was still held up by the way she was pressing her body against Riddick's. Jack wove her arms around his waist, returning his embrace.

"Riddick…" she spoke his name almost reverently, but the soft undertone of loyalty, devotion and maybe even love changed it.


	17. Chapter 17

**Beastly Bonds**

**Chapter XVII**

**Thanks to these reviewers:**

**sara – **Thanks for reviewing and yeah, we all agree on that one.

**crematoriacon** – Got it. Thanks for explaining the whole WTG thing, I write with parchment, bottles of ink and old feather pens. Very scratchy and noisy writing, but all the same, so I never use any shortened things like that, so of course, I'm completely…unknowledgeable in that department. Thanks for reviewing.

**Note: Like I said in the last chapter, I'm finishing this at 19 chapters, regardless of anything. So if you review and I don't thank you, it's because I have only a few days to get it all posted before I run off to Europe. So, early thank you and you'll get thanked in the next fic I write. Maybe I'll finish Tricks of Fate…hmm…decisions. **

**Story!**

The small group stood in one of the beach bungalows, some standing and some sitting, waiting for the impromptu meeting to begin. Finally it seemed that all had settled down and Tipner invited Jack to begin speaking.

"Captain Laurent, if you wish." He gestured to the center of the rough circle that consisted of the crew plus Riddick. Before she spoke, she shook her head, not wanting to be in the center, her back a target.

_Jesus, what has Riddick done to me?_

"Alright, Tipner and Litman are going exploring off this archipelago, as such, if you need anything write it down and they'll see if they can find it. Also, Litman seems to want to go early, so he is checking shuttle times."

She waited for his surprised ourburst to die down.

"You should know by now that I hear and see everything, Litman. As such, if anyone has similar plans, talk to him. I'm sure he would be considerate enough to find a schedule of sorts."

The underlying threat in that was made clear.

_/Got control, Jack. Probably from her father./_

"Riddick has told me that a small news blip was released a while ago about the lack of response from the Crematoria guards. I'll be keeping a very sharp tab on everything relating to the breakout, but plans might change faster then I realized. I want to say stay here for safety reasons, you know, safety in numbers, but if you feel better getting off sooner, do so. I'm not going to stop you." Jack reported, sounding like a cold commander. She wasn't playing games, seeing how she said she was going to check on the emergency systems of her ship after this meeting.

"What about you?" Meth asked, shifting in his position in Krent's lap.

"Meth, I'm the last thing you should worry about. Look, if something comes up and you're not near me and you can't contact me easily, just leave. That goes for all of you. I'll understand. Survival is the most important priority right now and I'll drag my own ass to the depths of every last triple-max slam in the universe if one of you decides to stick around to tell me about it. Trust me, if something happens, I'll know about it." She stated, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What if we're alone?" Meth asked suddenly, cold fear snapping off each limb of strength he had, its saliva freezing any last attempts to fight it off.

"You won't be." Krent replied gruffly, pulling Meth closer to him with one arm.

"Good. Keep it that way." Jack added, nodding towards him. "Any other issues of importance?"

"Yeah, if we do separate, which we probably will considering-"

"Get to the fucking point, Litman." Jack growled, not in the mood for patience.

_Just having Riddick stand next to me is taunting my beast. Wearing all those unnecessary clothes doesn't help either._

"How will we keep in touch?" He easily shortened it, seeing a flame of anger flickering in Jack's eyes. Never a good thing.

"Remains to be seen. Having our signals floating around like that is very risky. We might not at all and just run into each other somewhere else in the universe. Keep together, stay apart, I can't control it and I'm not about to be giving out any communication numbers." Jack replied.

_/Indeed survival of the fittest. Jack's not kidding about not going back to slam, she wants out, she gets out and I'll be damned if she doesn't stay out./_

"Can you even begin to fathom how to properly steer a boat, Litman?" Tipner chastised from his seat behind the other ex-convict. Twenty minutes out and he was feeling a little queasy and after all that he had seen and been through, feeling nauseous to start with was rare to say the least.

"As long as we get there does it matter how?" He snapped back, getting his center of gravity roughly in tune with his steering abilities. He gripped the speed lever with his hand and instead of slowly pushing it up, he jammed it straight up, throwing Tipner to the back of the boat.

Grumbling the older man stood back up, rubbing a few bones. Opting for the seatbelt, he strapped himself in and waited it out, relieved to have the ocean spray calming his nerves somewhat. Litman said no words to him as they traveled over the blue waters, bouncing up and down as they hit the waves. He seemed remarkably steady on his feet, as if absorbing everything the boat tossed at him.

Sighing, Tipner glanced at the archipelago behind him and briefly relived the conversation he had had with Riddick the night before. Jack had left to check on her ship, Litman went for a walk and Krent and Meth were left to their own devices as they returned to their bungalow. This had left him and Riddick, who had sat down opposite the couch of him and stared at him long and hard before talking.

_"Strange that we meet after both of us going in and out of various slams, isn't it Tipner?" He started, smirking slightly. He wasn't the younger boy he had first met in Butcher's Bay, that's for sure. _

_"Indeed, both of us quite the escape artists as well, but tarnishing my knack for escape it seems that for my last performance dear Jacqueline had to help me." His language poetic and lengthy, completely opposite of what Riddick had been shown in Butcher's Bay all those years ago. _

_"Seems that way. Lucky to run into her." He replied, receiving a nod from the elderly man. Riddick had great escape for this convict. If there was a list of murderers in the universe and at the top were those who only had the unbeatable records of escape, murders and mockery of authority…well, Tipner was probably first or second, right near Riddick himself. _

_"Very. Although both of us are so different compared to her, don't you think? We killed and hoped for the death of our parents, she has been mourning them." He observed, feeling relaxed in the company of this man. _

_"As they say, odi et amo." Riddick returned. _

_"Cultured even in the depths of slam. Very impressive." Tipner noted, nodding in appreciation of the ancient Latin saying. "Your dearest Jack related to me the story of that crash. I believe her but I am curious, did she really worship you like that?" _

_Riddick laughed aloud, amused by the turn of events._

_"Shaved her head, made similar goggles, did everything humanly possible on that hell planet. I worship you, she worships me, fate has nicely lined it up for us." He added. Tipner mourned the loss of such an intellectual mind that was darkened by the more negative masks of life._

_"Let us hope that there is not one to worship her. Except perhaps…" he trailed off, a skeleton grin creeping onto his features like a spider. _

_"Who?" Riddick pushed, having an eerie feeling that this man was Death masquerading as a man sometimes, seeing how he wisely knew all and moved with a peaceful yet life-ending grace. _

_"Her children. Yours to be more specific." _

_"That is the last thing on her mind right now." Riddick corrected, not entirely bothered by the idea of having children. Sure they would have to be the strongest kids in the universe, but every pack had pups. _

_"How little you know of a woman's mind." Tipner replied back, making Riddick raise his eyebrow._

_"And you would? I knew they gave shine-jobs in slams, but not sex-changes." He quipped, making Tipner chuckle. No matter how grim the outside personality, there is always a sort of humorous side to all, even Riddick._

_"No, neither of us would. Although our "bad-boy" persona and attitude attracts females by hordes, but look at it. We've both despised our center female figures since we could remember, then we're shipped off in a slam that is probably 98 male. Have we ever really had enough time to study the way a female mind works?" Tipner explained, pleased that he could finally have a good conversation with someone male._

_"No, but lots of men have tried in the past and the only thing we've figured out is not to go remotely near them when they are menstruating." He pointed out, trying not to smirk but both he and Tipner laughed quietly._

_"Indeed. Yet that would take four or five days of just being in the same apartment as a female during that time of month to realize that. But back to the original point, Jack could be intensely thinking about having children, yet we will not see it. Not on a visible level, at least." Tipner continued. _

_A clear look of concern passed over Riddick's face. To Tipner, it was beautiful to see a couple that so reflected animalistic courting rituals and eventually mating. The bestial simplicity of it astounded him, especially how every movement and smell mattered to the other. Tipner saw how it bothered Riddick that his mate could be worried about something and he not know it. He realized he had just given more incentive to him to get to read Jack better. _

_"Keep in mind, Riddick," this made the addressed man look up. "Females in general think about the maternal responsibilities probably quite frequently, even if they are without husband or lover." _

_"Still, how could Jack balance her will of survival with thoughts of having children at the same time and stay sane?" He asked, curious, confused and wishing Jack was there to clear it up. _

_"That is clear only to those outside of the relationship." Tipner vaguely answered, knowing it would drive the ex-convict mad not to know what the essential element was that kept Jack mentally balanced and able to work. _

_"Thanks, Tip." He sarcastically said, growling it out. _

_"I mean it, you wouldn't really understand if I told you anyway. It's something that I've come to realize that only those participating parties in the relationship can truly understand it when they discover it for themselves." He explained, seeing Riddick's shoulders slump. It wasn't easy in a bond like his and Jack's for emotions to be so complicated. To each of them it was a deep devotion that was shown through affection and when aroused, sex. Tipner felt pity and sympathy for both of them, seeing that Riddick would undoubtedly bring it up to Jack and Jack would realize it and have to show him. _

_"You think she'll stay with me?" Riddick suddenly asked, his silver eyes unfocused as he imagined future scenes between himself and her. _

_"That isn't even in question, it's Jack wondering if you still stay with her. I'm sure she has given you the reasons why she couldn't be in a relationship if it wasn't going to truly last and come out victorious in the tests of time." Tipner spoke, gesturing with his hands. When Riddick shot him a questioning look, he continued. "In Crematoria, it was clear she wasn't going to let herself be used as the prison's whore. So some men attempted to get close to her and it was soon clear that her policy, especially there, was to survive and everything else came second. Relationships don't last in prison, we both know this." _

_Both quieted for a moment, as if in respect of the lover's bonds that had been brutally severed by death and or greed of the prison's boss. There had been two male prisoners whose relationship had been the target of the Butcher's Bay's guards while Tipner had briefly stayed there. Although he wasn't the clean-mouthed and deep thinker that he was now then, he had hurt him as much as it had hurt the younger Riddick to see them abused and mocked for what they were. _

_Riddick obviously remembered it too, running his hand over his shaved scalp, swallowing deeply. He hadn't been too well-versed in the underground cultures of the slam at that time, but hearing the pained screams, cries and eventually sobbing whimpers of those two lovers had roughly ripped that curtain back. That was probably when his deep-seated contempt for the lack of control that authority figures possessed, especially his uncle. One of the first people to go when he had had the chance with a shiv in hand. _

_"Yeah, we've been through that. More then once and I think she knows now I'm not going anywhere. At anytime. Near or far future." He saw Tipner's suspicious glance. "Fine, not going anywhere for the rest of eternity, happy?"_

_Tipner smiled at the insulted outburst from the younger man. Clearly he took quick offense when his bond with Jack came into question. _

_"Quite." He replied, looking out into the darkening evening outside. Riddick turned as well, focusing his eyes into the dim lighting and saw Jack's form slowly walking towards them, her hand on Neunzhen's head. _

_He stood and bade Tipner goodnight, watching the door as Jack came through, greeting Tipner verbally. Yet much to Riddick's joy, greeted him quite…physically. The pair said goodnight to him again and just around then Litman strolled in, holding a few random shells he had found and picked up on the beach. This had instantly delighted and reinterested Tipner, as he looked through the specimens, naming each one and it's former inhabitants and their uses, whether for food, accessories or even medicinal purposes. He barely saw them walk out, deeply, yet completely silently, emotionally communicating to each other, through touches alone. _

_Neunzhen had stayed with them the night, sniffing at the shells and testing them with his paw. Although it hadn't been very amusing at first, both he and Litman looked back on the memory fondly. It was of Neunzhen experimenting the shells and licking the un-washed inside of one, only to be disgusted by the raw fishy taste. With a fast swipe of the paw, he had rocketed it towards the wall, shattering it on impact. He looked distinctly embarrassed and guilty as Tipner sadly went to collected the pieces and had gone out briefly. About twenty minutes later he had returned with something in his mouth. He deposited it into the bowl of salt-water they had been cleaning the shells with and Tipner found that it was a live scallop shell, opening and snapping its jaws shut. _

_The three parties were put at ease after this, Neunzhen watching on as the two human men experimented with different objects, seeing if the scallop shell could snap them. This had engrossed them deep into the night, completely unaware of the passionate bonds being formed by the four other inhabitants of the island._

"Hey, Tip, wake up." Litman prodded his shoulder carefully, shaking him out of his memories of the previous night. "Whew, thought I had lost you there for a moment."

In response Tipner strongly stood up and easily climbed from the boat, as if he were young and limber like the ex-convict that was with him.

"Really, seeing how I live to drive you absolutely insane and mad with annoyance, I don't think you'll be losing me any time soon, dear son." He emphasized the last part, reminding Litman of the parts they had to play.

"Thanks, dad, always good to know you care. C'mon, let's get going. Can't have you past up your bedtime." He replied back, easily taunting him. As they walked down the docks towards land, Tipner snipped back.

"Considering your driving skills, I would rather stay up past my bedtime then risk returning to our island with you." Not as good as Litman's, but enough to wound the younger man's pride. He may have been in the co-pilots seat of Jack's ship, but it certainly didn't mean he knew how to use a boat.


	18. Chapter 18

**Beastly Bonds**

**Chapter XVIII**

**Thanks to this reviewer:**

**Iridescent Twilight – **Never a late review from you, don't need to apologize. Your compliments make me so very happy, and yes, everyone wants their own hellhound. And on Riddick and Jack having kids, in one of my fics that might just happen. Just might, maybe perhaps in the sequel to Keeping Faith? And yes, that was a hint.

You see, my dad is kind of like that, but instead just uses verbal abuse. Don't know what's worse, actually.

**P.S. – whitelite, you reviewed in a weird inbetween posting time for me, so erm, thanks for reviewing and yeah, I guess her dad was famous. Not I guess, I made her dad famous and I'm probably just pushing that fame factor cause my dad was in the army. Was, no longer is. **

**Story! **

**Going back in time from the previous chapter. **

They awoke around the same time the next day, each feeling the other's muscles contract and release in instinctual testing. Their eyes opened, silver against green, mystery bonded with nature, both capable of producing large quantities of chaos and danger. Jack immediately moved in closer to Riddick's body, knowing she could never quite get enough of the sculpted piece of art that belonged to her. With a gentle rumble, sounding like a bear, Riddick pulled her closer as well, kissing her forehead as she looked up. He brought one hand up to the side of her face, holding it as he leaned down to kiss her. She responded slowly but with passion, moaning into his mouth.

"Jack," the husky tint to his already deep voice almost tossed her head first back into that sea of bottomless pleasure. She held onto him as one would let themselves be held by a life-jacket at sea. "We're never going to make it out of this bed. Let alone this specific bungalow."

"I don't have a problem with it." She replied, moving so she straddled him again, the same way she had done the previous morning. Yet this time she positioned herself dangerously low on his body, able to lean down and bite, lick and kiss his chest, which is exactly what she did.

"Neither do I, trust me," he added, having to close his eyes as she trailed her teeth up his collarbone. "But considering the time of day, the rest of the world might."

He wasn't sure if he was relieved or upset as she sat up, looking down at him. The sheets of the bed covered nothing, just resting around her hips and hiding her calves and feet. Riddick now wasn't sure if what the rest of the world thought really mattered at all. Most importantly, he had Jack. And a bed. And since when did Richard B. Riddick care about what the rest of the world thought?

"Fuck, what time is it?" She grumbled, looking just as crestfallen as he felt.

"I really didn't want to do that, just for the record." She nodded, understanding.

"Think I'll start wanting you to go back to not being concerned with what humanity needs or wants." She added, the now sad-look mixed with frustration. He knew the feeling only too well.

Just as she rolled off him, her communicator rang in her pants pocket, which as far as she knew, could've been thrown over the railing of the bungalow, seeing how lusty they had become last night. Yet it vibrated and rang on the floor and with great annoyance she went to retrieve it. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she connected the signal, grateful to feel Riddick's hands gently massage her back.

"Fuck, Litman, if this is just some stupid question or request, I am going to castrate you with this communicator. And you don't need to tell me it's about as blunt as a well-chewed bone, I'm holding one." Jack snarled, obviously startling Riddick with the threat. As she released the signal connector briefly, she turned around and kissed him, compassion in her eyes.

_/Glad to know I'm not on that list./_

"What do you mean you think you saw some mercs?" His hands stopped in mid-movement and her voice had become demanding and cold. "Shit, Litman, this isn't the time to be unsure, I want you to follow whoever you thought were mercs, fucking threaten them if you have to."

She released the connector, holding her head in her hands. Riddick knew she felt like she had royally fucked up and wasn't sure how to show his sympathy. Instead he moved to dress, knowing that if mercs were in the area, they should be ready to go at a seconds' notice.

"No? They're just burly looking security guards. Tip, I want you to smack Litman on the head for me. Jesus, freaking me out like that. Regardless, this is getting too risky. Get what you need, buy four tickets on the next two transports out of Caribi. Take two for yourself and Litman and two for Krent and Meth. I want you all off this island as soon as possible. No arguments, do it. Over and out." She shut the connection, angrily tossing the communication device across the room, cursing at the same time.

"You're doing the right thing, Jack." Riddick said, still undressed. He gently held her arm in his hand, pulling her off the bed. "C'mon, shower would help," he whispered into her ear. He was glad to see the smile on her face when he said this and followed him into the bathroom.

**Back into present time**

Jack was beating a warpath through the rainforest, Neunzhen having to lope to keep up with her. She knew that if anything happened, Krent would want to know in order to keep Meth safe. She figured that if Riddick felt so intensely towards keeping her safe, Krent would feel the same towards Meth. Hence the reason she sped through past the thinning trees, leaves whipping past her, thorny spines scratching her as she ran.

She skidded as she turned onto the man-made road, almost falling. But she was up in no time, her feet soundlessly crossing the ground, the bungalow in view. She saw the window of the bedroom and with a running leap, jumped, catching the edge of the sill with her hands. Quieting her breathing, which wasn't that fast to start with, she looked around the corner to see that the two lovers were entwined with each other, Krent protectively shielding Meth from any harm.

_Relaxing and sleeping late into the day must be a couples thing. Scratch that, must be because of the sex we sleep so late. _

Walking over to the bed, she hoped that no merc that might chase the two men would ever have her skill of silence in approach. She knew very well how to wake a trained fighter, seeing how she slept with one of the most infamous ones known to mankind. Jack made normal human sounds, like average breathing and sort of let her presence be known.

Soon enough Krent's eyes flickered open, blue meeting green. She shook her head to keep him from asking questions, but as he sat up, he disrupted Meth's position, waking him as well. He sleepily registered that it was Jack standing at their bedside. Wait, what? Why was she there in the first place?

"Litman just radioed me," she started, barely taking note of how immediately Krent wrapped one arm around the thin waist of the other man, as if a reassurance to himself that he was still there. "He thought he saw mercs, but he was wrong. I don't want to take that risk, so you two will be out on the next ship from Caribi. No questions asked. She saw that both wanted to protest but she sadly shook her head in the negative.

"I'll have to take you, seeing how Litman and Tipner have an earlier flight out. Riddick will prep my ship and we'll be fine. Since we can't do goodbyes in public…" she trailed off, gesturing vaguely.

Jack gave them their privacy as they dressed, walking out to see her in the living room, looking deep in thought. It wasn't easy saying goodbye to the person who had taken them with her as she escaped from prison. The person who had granted them their freedom.

"I must thank two people." Krent started, catching Jack's attention. "Kyra, for kicking serious ass in Crematoria and getting us out of there and Jack, for…" he looked at Meth for more poetic language.

"Accepting us. You also saved me from being eaten, too. Without you, I wouldn't be here to make this," he gestured between himself and Krent, "happen."

That was just about the extent of their farewells, Jack hugging them both. She waited until she saw that they were packed and headed back to her bungalows, not sure if she was alright with the idea of having to head back into the unpredictable black mass of space.

Jack climbed the rope ladder, stepping onto the porch, seeing from there that Riddick had packed her few belongings, parceling them in a small package. She heard movement in the kitchen, so she went there, finding Riddick sealing and saving food for the journey. There wasn't time to waste shopping for food, they would have to work with what they had here and what was air-sealed in the kitchen on the ship.

"Riddick, world-famous cook. Who knew?" She joked, walking into the kitchen. He turned and glared at her, finishing the sealing on a container of what looked to be limes and lemons. "This isn't a pirate ship, we're not going to get scurvy."

"Who said I wanted it for that? Slices of lime are needed in adding the last element to the perfect drink. You know, Jack, alcohol, something I just discovered that you aren't overly fond of." He tossed the contained into a nearby bag that had some dozen other containers like it, all holding a different food.

"I see. I'd like to hear what you and Tipner discussed at some point. I guess we're packing up as well?" she asked, not really needing to know the answer.

"You think?"

"Guess, Riddick. Listen."

"Right, either way we are. Leaving as son as we get permission, actually." He clarified, just ready in time for Jack's outburst.

"I'm not leaving until I know the rest of them are safely off Caribi! I'm fucking stay right here until I know that they are in the shipping lanes. Fine, out of the atmosphere." She sourly added, seeing his raised eyebrow.

"If they shouldn't care about your escape and survival, why should you care about theirs?" He asked, full well knowing he was asking for a raging Jack at the same time.

"Exactly. I told them not to worry about me, doesn't mean I can't or won't worry about them. Fuck it, get some more shit to take to the ship and we'll get going." She snarled, startling Riddick's beast.

_/If she didn't yell at me now it means I'll get it later. Something I'm not looking forward to, at all./_

"NOW!" She yelled, roaring it out. In moments Neunzhen came loping into the room, alerted by her yelling. He too snarled at Riddick, only held back by Jack's hand tightly gripping his leather collar.

He figured he could talk to her later about ordering people around but he wasn't risking it right now. Most important thing was to keep Jack safe, and that meant leaving Caribi.

Neunzhen closely followed her, his paws stepping almost on top of her feet, but she didn't mind, she had something to accomplish. Jack swiftly moved through the rain forest, almost sad that she wouldn't be able to spend more time there, it had barely been a few days. Maybe a week at most. She walked into the clearing and found the bungalow she was looking for, forming her lips and sending a piercing sharp whistle through the air.

Jack grinned when a topless, and most likely bottomless, Krent stood at the window, looking down at her. He nodded and in a few minutes, the two were walking towards her, messily dressed, but not stark naked. Neunzhen paced behind her, stopping briefly to register the two other humans near her.

"Jack." Krent greeted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No time for pleasantries, I want you both packed as soon as fucking humanly possible. You've got two tickets on the next flight outta here and you're going to be on it, even if I have to personally duct tape you to the damn seat. It's getting risky, we can't have this. I'm taking you to the port by boat unless something gets fucked." She explained, interrupted by Krent.

"Litman and Tipner are already taking us, they're just securing our bags on that flight, they'll be back soon. We'll leave the boat on the other archipelago, it'll eventually get back."

"Fine. Gentlemen." She tipped her head and turned on her heel, stalking back into the forest.

Her radio hummed to life and she clicked it off her belt, opening the connection.

"Captain speaking."

"It's Riddick. You better get your ass moving, something's not right. I can't get connected to the elder's communication ports, someone is out there Jack looking for you guys. Let's get a move on."

"Got it. Over and out." She clipped the radio back into her belt, already running when she felt the familiar weight secure to her waist. Her boots made small thumping sounds, not unlike the pads of Neunzhen's paws thudding near her, a reddish blur running beside her. Skidding off a path she had formed, she made a cut through to the hanger. Building in sight, Jack pushed herself harder, almost tripping over her own feet.

Just yards away she saw Riddick waiting at the open ramp to her ship, but a movement on the water around the hangar stopped her in mid leap. Focusing on it, she realized that it was a few men with machine guns trying to quietly boat to the side of the island with the bungalows. To where Krent and Meth were, completely un-alerted.

Jack cursed, picking up the radio and immediately calling through to their signal. Yet as she did this she saw the men on the boat pick up the same signal on an interfering device. When they realized what she was doing, they jammed the speed on the boat. Jack bit her tongue when she realized she has almost sentenced her friends to death, all because she ignored the interference device. All the same she signaled for one of them to pick up.

At the same time she hurriedly walked into the hangar, past Riddick and into the ship. She turned down her hallway, walking into her room. Finally the signal came through as she opened part of her bedroom wall on the ship.

"Captain?" Krent's voice came in.

"KRENT! There are armed men on a boat speeding towards you. Hide, do something. How much ammo do you have?"

"None, just knives. Jack, what are we going to do?"

"FUCK." She snarled, breaking the glass with her fist that covered the secret compartment behind her wall. She wiped her hand on her pants, taking off some of the blood but pushing in the shards of glass deeper. That wasn't her concern though, as she picked up every weapon carefully cleaned and loaded she had found when first exploring the ship. She easily carried every gun and weapon, walking right back out of the room and past a now-confused Riddick.

"JACK!"

"Hold on! Fuck, I'm coming back! Hide if you can!" She yelled into the comm. device. She was running off the ramp of the ship when Riddick gripped her arm fiercely.

"Where the hell do you think you're going? Let them fend for themselves and get on this fucking ship! Now, Jack!" He coldly ordered, flinching slightly when she wrenched her arm away from his grip.

"Stay here if you feel that's the 'right' thing to do. I'm going." She whispered, not realizing her hand was still keeping the connection on the comm. device open. Not realizing until she heard two pained yells crackling over the radio. Without second thought, she sprinted back into the forest, not giving a flying fuck if Riddick followed her or not.

Neunzhen was at her feet, running beside her. To him, it was his small pack running headlong into battle, fueled by pride of the pack, but mostly by pure devotion and loyalty. A true alpha did not let their pack fall apart because they held their safety over others. And to him, Jack was nothing short of a true alpha, the burning animalistic flame in her eyes telling the truth. Yet no alpha was complete without their mate, and this was true as well. Neunzhen didn't make a show of realizing her human mate was not far behind, taking to the trees instead of the ground, but it didn't matter. The pack was together from beginning to end, birth to death and nothing could break that beast-like bond.

**One more chapter! Be excited! I command thee! All the same, there is even a tiny chance I'll post this one idea that's been floating around in my head as a one-shot for about the past…two weeks. We'll see, kiddies, we'll see.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Beastly Bonds**

**Chapter XIX**

**Thanks to these reviewers:**

**Iridescent Twilight – **To start, you've been reviewing this since the beginning and I even dedicated a chapter to you, you've been one of the best reviewers I have ever had the pleasure of having to read your reviews. And wouldn't anyone give into him? I mean seriously, it's kind of hard not to.

**audran – **Oh ye anonymous reviewer, thank you for all those times you've left good long reviews and those inspiring one liners. Not being sarcastic here, your reviews always make me happy. It's good to know someone is interested enough to keep reading a story. And yes, a fight scene does happen in this final chapter. I'm afraid it isn't as detailed as Of Schoolgirls and Convicts, but I did my best. No, no, Tipner and Litman are still here. Sorry about the vagueness and be ready, I will have much to write upon my return.

**ren3017 – **You're amazing too. All of you just make me day in a way that isn't possible otherwise. Yes, I write like a steam engine, indeedy do. And here is your last and final fix! Savor it!

**TotallyRiddickObsessed – **I wondered what happened to you and glad to have you back. I stopped doing the camping thing a while ago and yeah, unhappy times. Of course I'm updating, I'd feel so bad if I didn't. Yeah, the hellhound touch is really nice. At least to me.

**Story!**

Jack ran headlong into danger, pulling out a handgun and scalping the closest attacker who was trying to go from behind the bungalows. He still stumbled, and to Jack, that was alive, so another well-aimed bullet into the skull ended matters quickly. With a mess, but quickly. Neunzhen had already bloodied his muzzle from taking down the other man who had paired with the one Jack had already disposed of.

Their blood shone brightly against the green leaves, spattering it with what looked like scarlet honey, perhaps sweet to the mouth, but most definitely sticky to the touch. Yet Jack wasn't really taking notice of this as she heard another pained scream come from within the bungalow. Distracted, she ran forward, only to feel an alien warmth trying to sneak around her waist. It was another attacker but she wasn't thinking of defending herself, so she kept trying to run. Suddenly she heard a small and quick moan and the muscled arm when limp around her and fell forward. Jack began to brace herself for the fallen weight but instead it went off course and fell to the side. It was clear to her what had happened in those few seconds when she turned and saw Riddick, bloody shiv in hand, standing over a barely-breathing attacker.

Jack thanked him best she could in her state of mind and as she began to ran to the bungalows she distinctly heard his voice before the blow of death was delivered.

"First mistake. Attacking from behind, you fucking coward. Second mistake and most important. You touched what was mine and will never be anyone else's." And with that a heart-stopping bone crunch echoed in the rainforest, but Jack was already climbing into the bedroom window.

She cursed as she ran through that and into the living room, where a gory sight met her eyes. Krent was on the ground, breathing shallowly, blood seeping from various gunshot wounds while Meth did his best to protect him. Yet he was wounded as well and was losing consciousness fast.

"METH!" She shouted, making him startle and turn around. "GET FUCKING DOWN!"

He did as told as she easily took out another handgun and with more bullets then necessary, shot and killed the four attackers. She barely caught Meth as he fell to the floor, laying him down as she scrambled for the radio splattered with blood. Whose it was she didn't want to know but she had to contact the other two.

"C'mon Meth, hold on, hold on." She spoke quickly, trying to open a signal and rip part of her shirt off to slow the blood flow. Jack barely realized her hands were shaking until both of Riddick's covered hers, kneeling down behind her. Only then did she hear her own panicked breathing and she closed her eyes, regaining a semi-workable state of mind.

"Jacqueline," his deep voice calmed her quickly. "I'll take care of this, go contact the others." And with a brief kiss to the back of her neck, he gently shoved her off into the direction of the beach.

Holstering the two handguns she was carrying, Jack took out the two weapons that were most natural for her, the two shivs she had acquired over time. One was Riddick's, which he had given her before he left New Mecca and the other a bone shiv she made in Crematoria. Sheathing one in her belt, she ducked to the ground, seeing that another boat was slowly motoring in, trying to be very quiet. She dug the radio out of her pants pocket and immediately got signal with Litman and Tipner.

"Jesus, Jack! What the fuck is going on?" Litman's angry voice harshly crackled over the connection.

"Shh, shut up. You're in the boat right?" She was relieved to not have a presence behind her, so she could focus mostly on the figures moving in front of her. These men were well-armed and seemingly better trained, she could tell by the way they moved about the ground, subconsciously taking care not to make any unnecessary noise.

"Yes. We're coming in on the east side." Litman confirmed. All their activity and the bungalows was placed on the east side of the island, leaving the west open for extra activity. Like sneaking around without being seen.

"Litman, listen to me. Stop, go around the north side of the island. When you've roughly hit northwest, stop there and get out. Get to the bungalows." She cut the connection, turning her attention back to the men lingering on the beach.

"So who the fuck are we looking for again?" One guy asked, kicking a rock into the forest. He had a tattoo that looked like a thestral rearing, the hooves and skeleton horse neck with its empty dead eyes just showing above the neck line of his shirt.

"You fucking idiot, that bitch Kyra and her wenchmen. Henchmen, wenchmen, whatever." Another snapped at him, walking further out then the others, looking into the forest where he saw nothing.

"Fucking bitch just took out the guys you sent around back." The first one, Thestral (as Jack mentally referred to him as) reported, looking stony.

"Great, more pay for us. Get your fucking pussies moving, bitches, we've got a bounty to collect." The leader spit on the ground.

"Boss, we don't even know where she is." One stupidly mentioned, who looked like he was having trouble taking off the safety on his gun.

_If Riddick only saw this asses. Christ, such idiots._

"Well that's why we got so many men, you shithead. Now, kids, let's head out." He ordered, walking forward slowly. Jack dipped lower in the leaves, he passed right next to her but the thick leaves hid her.

The leader didn't realize how stupid his men were, seeing how instead of spreading out, they decided just to follow him. In a line. Jack smirked at this, this would be so easy. She and Neunzhen would have a party over this. Speaking of him, she turned to find him ready to pounce just across the path that the mercs had created. With an almost silent growl, she signaled to the hellhound, who looked up at her and waited. Jack knew she had time to kill, let them get semi-comfortable and confident walking around the rainforest, then get them. One by one she would pick them off, so to use time efficiently, she made a small diagram for Neunzhen.

There were fourteen men, she had counted by the footsteps and breathing patterns, so she found fourteen small twigs and stuck them into the ground in front of her. Neunzhen arched his head over to see what she was doing, glancing towards the receding back of the last in the line, who had no idea what was behind him. Without making a sound the hellhound crossed the path and settled down next to Jack.

She pointed to the line and to the sticks and the hellhound nodded, watching with amusement in his eyes and Jack flicked each stick out of the ground. Easy, they take turns, each taking one. Seven wasn't too bad, especially when they didn't know someone was behind them. Minutes passed and she hoped Riddick had taken care of Krent and Meth. She finally decided it was an all green, good to go, so she reworked her grip on her shivs and without any noise, just movement, she stepped from her hiding place.

As she began to walk forward, each step precisely placed, nothing around her registered anymore. Every part of her being was solely focused on her targets…well, more like victims. Soon she was behind the last man, who had the nerve to have a small smile on his face. Tilting her head towards Neunzhen, the hellhound slinked back into the forest, knowing it would be his turn soon. Jack raised both blades, planning to just slice the front of his throat both ways. Not very quiet, but it could be done. Just as the bone weapons were parallel to the living bone of the human, a strangled yell came from up front and Jack was forced to retreat into the bushes. Neunzhen was there, he had heard the yell as well and looked up at her. Jack shook her head and gripped his collar, waiting for what happened. As men ran back towards the beach, the clips of conversation was all she needed.

"FUCK! He didn't tell us that fucking Riddick was here too!"

"Goddamn that motherfucker, just steppin' out like that and shivvin' boss!" Another yelled, following his comrades.

Jack snarled in anything but human manner. Riddick should've known that she was going to ghost them and not to interfere.

_Hello Kyra._

Jack paid almost no attention to the voice in her head that spoke that, but she felt the same beast rousing in her that had stayed pacing and wild in Crematoria. Closing her eyes, she gave into that beast, suddenly connecting to Neunzhen on a much deeper level. With just one look to him, it was clear. This wasn't going to be a planned murder one by one, this was going to be a massacre.

Shivs held at her sides, she ran forward, barely noticing that the sky had darkened and the usual rain for the rainy season of Caribi had begun to start. The hooves of thunder galloped in the distance, the chariot not far behind, the storm in tow. Lances of lightning struck the water not far off, but Jack was in her element. Running forward, Neunzhen loped ahead of her, his scales a fiery red, his barely kept in roars rippling in his chest.

Taking a few leaps in step, Jack jumped in the air and twisting her body to the left, she shivved the her first victim in the neck. Stepping off the dead man's shoulder she continued her warpath in the air, falling directly onto another man's back, slamming the bloody blades deep into his body. Neunzhen had brutally taken a victim, tearing out his throat as his claws ripped deep into the soft flesh.

Jack didn't know that Riddick, Litman and Tipner stood at the edge of the forest, almost entranced by her elegant dance of killing. Suddenly the thunder boomed overhead and rain poured from the sky, soaking her instantly. Her beast was awake now and this splash of water only worked as a refresher. If one looked hard enough they could almost see a roused demon-like beast shadowing Jack's form, roaring in its victory of release and escape. Yet she continued and now she was chasing a few last men running on the beach, trying to get to their boat. Neunzhen easily took down one, relishing in the scream that ripped from the man's throat.

Jack killed the others, but something was wrong as she stood and stretched, scanning the beach. Thestral. She hadn't seen his body beneath her feet, pumping out blood like the rest of them. His corpse wasn't just that, it was alive and scheming. She was so intensely engrossed in watching her victim's take their final breath and thinking of Thestral's whereabouts that she barely heard Riddick's strong yell. Through the rain that blurred any vision, she saw him running towards her and a faint cry of 'behind you' just reached her ears. The sand shifted beneath her feet as she turned around, only to see that Thestral was standing here, gun in hand, pointed at her.

_That's the problem with rain, dear Jacqueline. _Her beast gently chastised her. _You lose the scents._

"Hey, bitch, dead or alive you're still worth millions. And if I take in your buddy here, good ole Richie, I'm gonna be the filthiest richest merc in the universe." He said, panting. Jack would have tried to reply, but she knew it would only come out in snarls and beast sounds that his ear could never pick up on.

Instead she fingered the shiv in her hand and with an underhand toss, he didn't see her move but felt the pain of a blade crunching through one of legs, shattering bone and tearing tendons. He yelled in pain, leaning down to pull out the blade. He barely did it before a searing pain slashed his side. He looked up to see the hellhound snarling nearby, walking back towards Jack.

Throwing the blade onto the beach, he ran off, limping horribly. Everything to him was a blur, but between his panicked breathes and his hands trying to move him back on the ground, he managed to aim his gun and shoot at what he thought was the infernal woman who wouldn't die.

Throwing the gun behind his back, it slung back with its strap and he attempted to stand and run but was met with a pair of booted feet. Looking up he saw the cruel green eyes mocking him and almost blacked out when one of the feet came into contact with his skull, breaking his nose and maybe part of his jaw. His eyelids fluttered as he turned his back to her and in a last attempt to escape, limped towards the boat. But he was momentarily blinded by the lightning striking the water, electrifying the sky for just a second. Blinking rapidly, he saw the mysterious figure of this woman, illuminated by the frequent strikes of lightning.

"Time to end this." She growled out in a voice that Thestral could've sworn was that of the devil. 'But', his last thoughts went as such, 'I'll be hearin' that voice again in a few minutes. Hell, here I come.'

He heard an unearthly yell of blind rage as he felt a shiv sinking deep into the back of neck. Just on the edge of death he groaned and felt two hands place themselves on his wet head. The rain poured in torrents now, the dark sky foreshadowing the fate of the now dead team of mercs. The raindrops washed away the blood leaking from his face but the hands were real enough as they squeezed and viciously snapped his head back, his neck breaking instantly.

It was a sight none of them would forget, forever burned into their memories. Jack stood, the rain washing sins off her body that had landed her in the hellish prison of Crematoria all those years ago. The white of bone shivs shone bright as the blood dripped off, giving them a clean and almost innocent look. She stood in the center of the massacre, not at all sorry for what she had done, the multitude of lives she had just taken. Her breaths came out in puffs of steam, giving her an animalistic presence. Her body showed pure power, undeniable majesty and wisdom all residing in that being. Behind her Neunzhen stood, his red scales showing bright against the dull, washed out colours that surrounded them, his silvery blue eyes flashing victoriously with his tail that whipped back and forth slowly. As if ending the special moment, he lifted his head back and bellowed a roar, but unlike the ones in Crematoria, this one sounded of final freedom, something that had been chased for many years by all those who were part of this.

As Jack's human spirit returned, she looked up to see her pack patiently waiting and more importantly, her mate, who stood in quiet and accepting awe of her strength. Closing her eyes, she regained her breath and sheathed her shivs, quietly calling to Neunzhen. He padded next to her, licking her hand as they slowly made their way towards the group who stood on the edge of the forest still.

Tipner and Litman strayed off, walking towards the bungalows to leave Riddick and Jack alone. Surprisingly, Neunzhen went with them, giving Jack one last final look of approval. Riddick watched carefully as she approached him, her eyes clearly human, but he couldn't be too sure of that.

"Jacqueline?" He questioned, his voice like that of the thunder that was now rumbling far off in the distance. The rain hadn't slowed, but somehow she could see clearer.

"Riddick, it's me." She said before taking two steps to close the distance between them and kissing him full on the mouth. He eagerly responded, tasting what little beast hadn't fell asleep within her yet. The two bodies almost melted into one, Jack's form pressed against Riddick's as well as she could while still staying upright and kissing him. Breaking apart for air, their breath steamed up above them, clearing away moments later.

In motions that could only be called that of a beast, they affectionately nuzzled and nipped at each other, small growls and whines being all the communication needed. Firmly holding Jack in his arms, Riddick kissed her again and his silver eyes had this shining hope in them that Jack was curious about.

"Riddick?" She asked, bringing up her hand to gently caress his face. He pushed his head into her hand, a show of tenderness that wasn't unusual to Jack, seeing how Neunzhen did it all the time. "You alright?"

"Jack," he started, clasping her hands in one of his and he found it smooth and clean of blood. "I love you." He swooped down to kiss her before she could reply, part of him almost afraid that she wouldn't say the same so he sealed this memory with one last kiss. To his dismay, she pulled back, growling out his name defensively.

"Riddick, I can taste your fear of rejection." She sounded almost angry, but her voice changed to that of gentle and loving. "And you've never held fear of anything before, so you shouldn't start now."

He growled in confusion at her, his silver eyes lost and unsure. Her green eyes showed sympathy as she slowly kissed him, and to Riddick, tasting him for what could be the last time.

"Riddick, I love you too." She said back to him, her tired voice sincere. The two molded together again, this time inseparable. The rain hadn't cleared yet and whether this was a bad or good omen neither knew and in their beastly bonding, neither cared.

**Epilogue **

Jack groaned as she tossed another bag onto her ship, not even seeing if it landed somewhere appropriate. In a swagger she moved down the ramp, greeting Neunzhen with a smile. He stood from his position of sunning himself and followed her as she marched out of the hangar. With a mumble of forgetfulness, Jack turned around and with a remote control of sorts, watched as the door closed and hissed shut.

For what was the last time, she walked through the rain forest, all the animals chattering and chirping as she passed. The sun's shattered rays lit the forest, everything glowing in its own natural manner. The wet earth absorbed her footsteps, but they stayed visible. Neunzhen went behind her, covering each of hers with his paws, leaving the tracks of an animal, not a human who had an animal companion. After what seemed an eternity of walking around trunks, watching for thorny leaves and jumping over fallen trees, Jack walked out of the rainforest and onto the paths.

The bungalows came into view, but that wasn't what she was looking for. She passed right by them, the wind spilling through the rooms and Jack caught scent of Krent's and Meth's unique bonded smell. She approached the beach, where the boat stood at ready, the passengers loading their belongings and getting comfortable. She was upwind now of everyone else and in less then a second she saw Riddick's head lift up and turn in her direction. She smiled at him as she neared the water's edge and leaned back into his body when he greeted her with an embrace from behind.

To her relief, Krent had barely made it, the bullets hitting in all the wrong places, which had made Tipner doubtful if he could do anything. Yet, a few broken ribs, thankfully not shattered, quite a few stitches to his shoulder, whose arm was now in a sling and many of Meth's tears later, he sat on the boat. He tried shifted to get comfortable but he winced, seeing how whichever way he turned it caused him pain. Yet Meth, who had not gone unscathed, was there at his side, helping the older man. Litman was checking the systems of the boat while Tipner was returning with another sackful of books that he refused to leave in Caribi.

"You guys going to be alright?" She asked, folding her arms over Riddick's. He was lightly kissing her neck, becoming quite a distraction so she had to step on his foot to get him to stop.

"Alone? Without you? I'm not too sure about that Jack. It's bad enough that the more mature of us are injured, but I don't know if we can handle young Neil Buckner here without you." Tipner said, gesturing to the now scowling Litman, who sent a glare to the old man.

"If he gets too bad, I'm sure you can knock him out with just a wee shot of vodka." Jack joked, making Litman moan in embarrassment.

"Not even, maybe a thimbleful will do the trick." Meth added, securing his lover's position in the boat. Krent had been very worried about his health, but Meth proved to be strong and came through. This had only served to bond the lovers more, the two barely being able to be out of sight or touch with the other.

"Real funny, guys. I bet Riddick can't hold alcohol well. I mean, c'mon, he can't be drunk while taking out all those people." Litman stupidly reasoned, not sure where his proper train of thought had derailed too.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that, Litman." Jack cautioned, tightening her grip on Riddick's hands, who didn't seem bothered at all.

"Listen to your captain, kiddie. I could out drink all of you put together. Easy, no problem." Riddick commented, almost challenging them.

"Well, enough of this, we have a flight to catch and I'm sure you two have…business to attend to." Tipner said, loading the last of the bags and packages onto the boat.

Riddick stayed on the beach while Jack clambered into the boat, saying goodbye to all of her prison mates. Riddick suspected she had somehow blessed the relationship between Meth and Krent, but he wasn't going to ask. Jack had a rather long and serious farewell to Tipner, who assured her that he would be fine and the tropical climate had done some good for his health. To Litman she had immediately smacked on the back of the head, growling at him to behave and not make any unnecessary noise. And by that, she had added, she meant just talking in general. But it was a genuine farewell as she jumped the side of the boat, walking back to Riddick as the boat slowly pulled out. Litman was more careful this time, seeing how there were injured passengers aboard.

They waited until the boat was out of sight before turning back to head to their own ship. Riddick sought out Jack's hand and held hers as they walked quietly towards the forest, Neunzhen weaving in and out around them. After their confession both of them had been very tender and affectionate, not that either minded. Then they had quickly went to Krent and Meth, who were doing better after Riddick's quick surgery, but Tipner had done a more detailed check, just to make sure nothing had gone wrong. That night Riddick had insisted he do a full body check to make sure nothing was broken or hurt in Jack. This quickly turned into a passionate night of sex, neither caring if the other was bruised or hurt. Their rain soaked bodies had slid together so easily, not unlike their first kiss in the ocean. They had barely slept and as a result didn't get up until late the next afternoon.

About two weeks had passed between that time and today, seeing how Krent was in absolutely no condition to travel. It had been tense, Jack always checking the monitors and news reels for anything. Once or twice she had seen a small detail, but nothing major had popped up as a red flag. So they had waited, Jack and Riddick often spending the days just wandering the rainforest, finding hidden clearings and caves.

As they went into the hangar, Neunzhen bounded ahead of them, waiting for the door to open. When the ramp hit the ground, he stalked up and into the ship, followed by Riddick and Jack. Jack knew nothing was wrong and that the hellhound was simply exploring, probably looking for a room to occupy. Riddick followed Jack into the captain's bedroom, which was much more spacious then he had realized. When he had snuck onto the ship before they reached Caribi, he had roughly estimated what rooms were which, how big they were and so and so forth. But he had never imagined the ship to be so finely equipped and elegant. Especially not from the guards of Crematoria. Yet the model of the ship was known for being just what he saw before him, so he didn't voice any complaints.

Jack secured herself in the pilots seat, not even thinking that Riddick would have preferred it if he was piloting. But he quietly settled into the copilots seat, doing the normal system checks and the like.

"Hey Riddick." Jack almost asked, looking out onto the ocean that lay beyond the hangar.

"Yeah?" He asked, relieved to find that all was fine with the ship.

"Where we going to go?" She asked, leaning forward with a release of breath, flipping the connection switches.

"Not Helion Prime, not yet." He decided, watching as Jack naturally held the switch down for a signal. She didn't reply but waited for the voice to come over the speaker.

"This is Captain Laurent, requesting permission to takeoff." She spoke, waiting for a reply.

"Permission given, you're free to leave anytime." The bodiless voice returned. Jack cut the signal and started the engines, relaxed by the hum of the ship.

"So you've got a place in mind?" She asked, easily steering the ship in its water form out onto the ocean. Riddick didn't reply, wondering where the hell this conversation was going. To his surprise Jack easily lifted them off and smoothly transported them through the atmosphere, clicking on the autopilot to just float around the system.

"Well," she answered her own question. "I do."

"Do you really?" He asked, releasing his restraints as Jack did, watching her shirt ride up as she stretched. Her body entranced him as it moved away and he stood, waiting to regain any sort of motor skills to follow her.

"Yeah, I do. Guess where it is?" She asked, a seductive smile surprised him as she turned around, licking her lips. "I'm pretty sure you can, Richard B. Riddick." Just hearing that name off her tongue kicked him into motion. He usually hated anyone who dared to use his full name, but it was different with Jack. Everything was.

"Hmm, Jacqueline." He growled, smoothing one hand over her stomach as he quietly walked around her, visibly leaning down to sniff her neck. He felt her shudder beneath his touch and he pushed down his laughter. "I can only imagine the places I'd like to explore." He growled out, sliding his hand a little lower.

"Surprisingly enough, Richard," she turned and slipped her hand between his body and his pants, tugging on it. "I feel the same way." Riddick allowed himself to be dragged behind Jack as she walked towards the bedroom, throwing another seductive grin over her shoulder. "And, as much as I enjoy the foreplay, this beast wants its desires fulfilled."

The door hissed closed behind them as Jack walked to the bed, letting go of Riddick's pants and spreading herself out over the covers. His goggles were already off, so his silver eyes glinted in anticipation as he approached the bed. Jack waited as he crawled up the bed, taking the chance to kiss the bared skin of her stomach as he came up to her. Leaning down to her ear, the next words his whispered epitomized what was going to be their relationship.

"Jack, I'm going to make your beast howl."

**The End.**

**Oh:** **Believe it or not, I had some alternate ideas for plot twists and stuff, if you're interested, email me. Or something. Thanks for reading this story, you've made me happy even if you don't review. But, please do.**


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